More Options in Hardanger: Dale Sokolow, designer

(Photo showing what has been completed so far in this project)

Project: More Options ... in hardanger

WORK IN PROGRESS

Designer: Dale Sokolow

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photos: 10 so far

Another Dale hardanger project that I have stitched called "Options in Hardanger"

This is an EGA correspondence course: http://www.egausa.org/

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

Comments: The first project I have stitched from Dale was "Options in Hardanger" and when "More Options ...in hardanger came along, I decided to get on board this one too.

This piece of hardanger is done on #28 Plum Blossom Jobelan fabric using some Watercolours and Anchor #12 Pearl Cotton threads.

The size of the finished piece will be around 8" by 13 1/2".

I have already purchased my bell pull hardware for the finishing.

As you can see, most of it has been done. I still have to fill some diamond shapes, add another row of blanket stitch on top for the hardware to be enclosed in and I will be done.

While looking at the photos below I thought it was interesting to see the different color shades depending on the day's lighting. 



(1st photo taken showing upper and middle sections)

(2nd photo showing top, middle and bottom sections)

(Photo showing the beginning of outside border)

(Outside border completed)

(Photo showing the outside border added on the top and middle sections)

(Same thing but showing the bottom section)

(Photo showing additional work in upper section)

(Same thing but on bottom section)



(Work done on this project so far)

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)

Wintertide: Patricia Andrle, designer

Project: Wintertide

Designer: Patricia Andrle

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photos: 5

This is a Kreinik free design that you can find here.

Comments: I was looking for a lovely little Christmas ornament to stitch for a friend for some Christmas past and found Wintertide on the Kreinik website and I then knew I had found what I was looking for. It is elegant and uses Hardanger technique, something that I enjoyed doing and there is no added finishing to do, so what more can a stitcher like me ask for?

(Photo showing the Kloster blocks)

(Photo showing the center Poinsettia)

(Photo showing the four small corner flowers)

(Photo showing the stitched project before cutting all the extra fabric around the ornament)

Options in Hardanger: Dale Sokolow, designer

Project: Options in Hardanger

Designer: Dale Sokolow, designer

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photos: 3

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

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

Comments: When I saw this hardanger project, I just could not resist it. I thought it was just so beautiful.

This course came with 3 different layouts. I have only stitched one of them so far, but fully intend to do the other two in other colors at one point in time.

I stitched the layout #2 using Ash Rose Lugana fabric with Gobi Sand watercolours and pearl cottons threads. Those colors have turned so beautifully together. They were the colors that Dale used when stitching this layout. Since I loved them, I did not see any purpose in changing them just for the sake of changing them.

(photo showing everything stitched except the fillings)

(Project completed before cutting excess fabric around border)

Blue Bouquet, Rosalyn K. Watnemo, designer

Project: Blue Bouquet

Designer: Rosalyn K. Watnemo

(This is a Nordic Needle hardanger kit # K2106)

(1997)

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photos: 3

Comments: I was looking for some hardanger project to practice on and found this one, which I thought was rather cute. It also came as a kit making my life simpler.

The finished size of the design is 6 1/4" square.

As I want to finish every projects that I stitch and do not always have a specific use for them, I often finish them as little ornamental pillows. I now have several decorative pillows of various sizes, all sitting pretty together.

(Close-up photo)

(Photo showing pillow but without the tassels)

Beginner's Hardanger: Marion Scoular, designer

Project: Beginner's Hardanger

(1999)

Designer: Marion Scoular

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photos: 3

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

Taken with EGA CyberStitchers: http://www.cyberstitchers.org/

Comments: Before I took this group correspondence course with EGA CyberStitchers, a course written by Marion exclusively for The Embroiderers' Guild of America, I had only done a few tiny hardanger projects and I wanted to learn the proper way to do hardanger.

I am so happy that I took this course as I had been having a few problems understanding on my own some stitches and that even with the help of some hardanger books I had, but with the instructions in this course, everything became clear to me and had no problem doing what was required in this piece. Marion's instructions are just wonderful. As a beginner's hardanger course, I could not have asked for better.

The design size is approximately 8 3/4 inch square. I finished mine using a 14" by 14" pillow form.

For the fun of it, I took a photo showing what the design looks like depending which way I would finish it. I decided to go with the same orientation that Marion used as it just seemed to make more sense.

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)

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).