Rapunzel: Marion Scoular, designer

Project: Rapunzel

(WORK IN PROGRESS)

Designer: Marion Scoular

Type of needlework: Blackwork

Photos: 4 photos and more to come

Some of Marion's designs and books here

Marion's Achievement Award at National Academy of Needlearts here

Photos showing some of Marion's work here and here

Free online class here

Example of one Marion Scoular hardanger class here

While doing research I found this very interesting article on How to start and end threads

Comments: Here again Marion tells us about Rapunzel like she did for The Princess and the Pea. Here is what Marion tells us this time around.

"Rapunzel"

There was once a couple who longed in vain for a child. A window of their modest home overlooked the garden next door which was owned by a Witch, who filled it with beautiful flowers and tempting vegetables. So envious was the wife that she persuaded her loving husband to sneak through the fence to steal some rampion for her salad. On the second foray, the Witch caugh him, and in response to his plea that he was only trying to please his dear wife, she agreed to let him go, but demanded that in return, she should be given their child.

Indeed, when the child was born and given the name Rapunzel, which means rampion, the Witch took her to a high tower, deep in the woods. There she grew to be incredibly beautiful, with long golden hair. The Witch would stand at the foot of the tower and call, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel all golden and fair, Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair." Whereupon, Rapunzel would unbraid her glorious locks so the Witch could use them as ladder.

Rapunzel sang with the voice of an angel, and one day, this was heard by a Prince as he rode through the forest. Mesmerized, he witnessed the Witch's ritual, memorized it, and when the Witch had gone, used it himself to see at closer hand the lovely Rapunzel. Love blossomed, but sadly, Rapunzel made the naive mistake of asking the Witch why she was so slow and the Prince so nimble. Furious, the Witch slashed off Rapunzel's locks and carried her off to the wilderness.

Using Rapunzel's hair, the Witch lured the Prince back to the tower, where in trying to escape, he fell into thorn bushes which scratched his eyes, blinding him. Doomed to wander for many a day throughout the land, the Prince eventually heard a plaintive familiar song.

Seeing the Prince's blindness, Rapunzel's tears fell on his eyes, restoring his sight. Joyfully they returned to his Palace and have lived happily ever since.

---End of story---

I just think that it makes the stitching of any piece so much more special when you know what the design is really all about. I always love to know where the inspiration for any designs has come from.

Below, you can first see a photograph of the finished project. This photo came with Marion's instructions. Then you can see a few additional photos of what I have done so far.

(Marion's photo of the finished project)

(Tree on the right side of the tower)

(Tree and foliage)

(More foliage surrounding the tree)

*** Additional posting about this project will be added to this post.

--------------------------------

I have received a personal message asking information about a Victorian Heart Pincushion. I normally respond directly to the writer, but I can't this time around as I have unfortunately lost the email. The needed information is right here.

Hope you read this.

Plaid and Blackwork Checkbook Cover: Marjorie B. Berleur, designer

Project: Plaid and Blackwork Checkbook cover

Designer: Marjorie b. Berleur

Type of needlework: Needlepoint and Blackwork

Photos: 14

Comments: I was looking for something that I would be proud to be my checkbook in instead of those awful plastic ones that the banks give you whenever you open a checking account. One of my friend came to my rescue with this lovely design. It had two elements that I found interesting together, plaid and blackwork, so there was not a moment hesitation for me to decide that I wanted to stitch this one. I may make another one. The only part of this project I found a bit difficult was when I was doing the first half of the plaid. Somehow it had a dizzying effect on me. It may do the same thing on you when you look at one photo in particular and then again, perhaps it won't.

The photo above shows you the front part of the finished checkbook. The photo just below this text shows you the back.

UPDATE: Tennessee (Nashville) flooding update: http://www.tennessean.com/

(Photo showing the back of the checkbook cover)

(Blackwork stitches)

(Photo showing my checkbook cover in its plastic cover)

(Photo showing the front outline)

(Photo showing the Smyrna Star outline)

(Photo showing two Blackwork section completed)

(A view of what has been stitched so far)

(Photo showing all the Blackwork sections done)

(Another view showing all the Blackwork completed

with the front still to be stitched)

(This is my dizzying photo with only the first part of the plaid done)

(Overall view of the first half of plaid done with Blackwork completed)

(This photo shows the left side plaid completed and the right side waiting to be done)

(Plaid completed)

(Photo showing my initials and the finishing border all around it)

This checkbook cover was made with #16 count Aida and using #12 Perle Cotton for the  main color and DMC floss to match the main color and 3 colors of floss to complete the plaid.

This project could also work for a two year planner instead of a checkbook. 

The Princess and the Pea: Marion Scoular, designer

Project: The Princess and the Pea

Designer: Marion Scoular

Type of needlework: Blackwork and Hardanger

Photos: 12

Marion's instructions for this project can be found on the NeedleArtworks website.

LEGEND: First, let's read  what Marion Scoular has written for us concerning the legend about

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA.

Once upon a time there was a Prince who longed to marry a real Princess. He searched all over the world to find her. There seemed to be plenty of Princesses but for one reason or another, the Prince could never be sure that they were, in truth, what he sought. Disconsolate, he returned to his castle. Slowly he grew paler and thinner, pining for a real Princess.

One evening there was a terrible storm. The wind blew, lightning slashed the sky, thunder crashed and rain lashed the countryside. Suddenly a knock was heard at the castle gate. The guards hurried to the gate, holding their lanterns high above their heads.

There at the gate stood a Princess. Rain had soaked her hair and streamed in rivers from her gown to her toes. But she was a Princess ... a real Princess ... she told the guards, and had become lost in the storm.

"A real Princess?" asked the Prince, in disbelief. "We must make sure," said his mother the Queen. She prepared a bed for the Princess, made with ten mattresses filled with the softest eiderdown. Beneath the first mattress on the boards of the bed, the Queen placed one small dried pea. The Princess, unaware of this, climbed up to sleep on top of the feather mattresses. In the morning, everyone in the court gathered to hear the Queen ask her how she slept.

"I hardly slept a wink," moaned the Princess. "I am bruised all over. My bones ache as if they were broken. There must have been some frightful object in my bed".

"She is indeed a real Princess," proclaimed the Queen. "No one but a real Princess could have such tender skin!"

The delight of the Prince knew no bounds. The King and Queen were well pleased. The Prince married her the very next day because now he knew she was a real Princess.

And the pea can be seen on a pedestal in the Royal museum to this very day.

(end of story)

Comments: This is really a project that I enjoyed stitching from start to finish. The design is beautiful and I guess it brought back the child in me with this lovely legend.

The brochure is very well written and it was not difficult to follow Marion's instructions.

I was blogging pieces at the time which would explain why I have so many photos to show you today.

(Photo showing the bed with the first 2 mattresses and if you look under the first mattress you will see the little round pea, which has not yet been stitched )

(3 mattresses now)

(4 mattresses)

(Going up to 5 mattresses)

(6 mattresses)

(7 mattresses)

(8 mattresses, getting pretty high)

(9 mattresses)

(10 mattresses - this is as high as this goes - would not want to fall from that height myself)

(This photo shows the blanket, hardanger canopy, canopy drapes, tassel and the Princess herself)

(Fun frame for this project - Don't forget to look at the little pea under the first mattress - you may also have a look at the very first photo way way up this post so that you can have a good view of the little pea)

Lace Ribbons: Dakota Rogers, designer

Project: Lace Ribbons

Designer: Dakota Rogers

Type of needlework: Blackwork

Photos: 2

Dakota's web site: http://www.dakotarogers.com/

An EGA correspondence course: http://www.egausa.org/

Received through: EGA CyberStitchers: http://www.cyberstitchers.org/

Comments: Sometimes there are interesting coincidences. I wanted to learn how to do blackwork properly and was looking for a good source to learn from when I won this course written by Dakota Rogers for EGA.

When we have our meetings at EGA CyberStitchers, we sign in daily for each meeting and at the end of that day there is a drawing of two names and these winners get to pick a prize shown in special photo albums on the Yahoo group where we hold these meetings and I chose this project.

As soon as I received it through the mail, I purchased the necessary material and stitched it right away. I found blackwork ro be a very enjoyable form of needlework and I have done many other projects afterwards, which I will add to my blog later on.

Lace ribbons has been finished as a pillow with cording around it and tassels added at each corner.

Teddy Bear

Project: Teddy Bear

Designer: Unknown

Type of needlework: Blackwork

Photos: 2

Design coming from a book: "The New Anchor Book of Blackwork: Techniques & Designs"

Comments: I have always thought that blackwork was so pretty and I wanted to try it with some project that would not be too difficult. I purchased the book shown below and saw that little bear. It hit a note with me and I decided that this was going to be my first blackwork project and I must say that I had lots of fun stitching it and wanted to do more blackwork projects after this.

Angelina: Ilse Altherr, designer

Project: Angelina

Designer: Ilse Altherr

Type of needlework: Blackwork

Photos: 4

Some of Ilse's designs and books can be find here and other shops

Comments: When doing blackwork, I love to do something other than geometric patterns, if I can called it that. I love to stitch animals, people ........... I am sure you can see what I mean.

Angelina was a pure delight to stitch, mostly her dress. The quilt part was a little more tedious to do, but still, not bad at all.

No doubt I will be doing more blackwork in the future. We have some great designers like Marion Scoular, Ilse Altherr and others who have great blackwork designs.