Gem Storm, Marianne Frost, designer

Project: Gem Storm

Designer: Marianne Frost

Type of needlework: Bargello

Photos: 2

About Marianne's work: National Academy of needleArts & also ANG to only name a few places

Comments: This is a cyberclass I have taken with Marianne. I just love doing bargello and this project is no exception. This is just such a beautiful design with lovely colors.

I remember that some of the threads were a bit slippery and had to be very careful with them and also used a laying tool, but the end result was well worth all the efforts necessary to get there. Stitching the flowers were so much fun and it adds those spots of colors so necessary to make this design come to life. That was a wonderful experience and Marianne was very helpful too.

Periwinkle Pincushion: Jan Kerton, designer

Project: Periwinkle pincushion

Designer: Jan Kerton

Type of needlework: Embroidery

Photo: 1

Jan's project found in: Inspiration magazine issue #50

Basic tutorial for such pincushion can be found on the WhipUp blog

Comments: Now, I am such a big fan of Inspirations magazine. I think that this is one of the best, if not the best commercial magazine around for embroidery. The Australians sure  know what they are doing. The projects are absolutely fantastics.

I made this little pincushion for a friend as a thank you for all the things she had done for me. It was done in silk dupioni with silk ribbon flowers and lots and lots of bullions all around the side of it.

I have a feeling that she has not really used it but is keeping it as a little souvenir from me. Some things are almost too beautiful to really use them and with Inspirations that is often the case. Their designs are just gorgeous.

Mojave: Jim Wurth, designer

Project: Mojave
2nd of the series)

Designer: Jim Wurth

Series: Dodecagon ornaments

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photo: 1

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

Comments: This is another one of my favorite in this ornament series. I just love the colors. If I remember correctly, I stitched this one in record time.

Christmas Heirlooms called "Threads": Loretta Spears, designer

Project: Christmas Heirlooms "Threads"

(Needle Adventures - August 1993)

Designer: Loretta Spears

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photos: 2

Comments: From time to time I love to do a little project, something that I can do from start to finish in a few days. This is one of those projects. This is a Loretta Spears project from her Needle Adventures series that she published years ago. I love what she has done using a monochromatic theme. I think I used 5 different shades of red in different textures and it is all about mixing them indefinitely to come up with something similar and different at the same time.

It was a bit of a struggle to do the finishing on this cylindrical project and had to cheat a bit, but the outcome is not too bad. A professional finisher would have done a better job on this one, I have no doubt about that, but I like it just the same. Perfection is not always what it is cracked up to be. I often have to settle for "OK".

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.

Victorian Heart Pincushion: Karen D. Kraus, designer

Project: Victorian Heart pincushion

Designer: Karen Kraus

(Moonspun Designs)

Type of needlework: Mixed media

Photo: 1

Moonspun's website: http://www.moonspundesigns.com/

Comments: When I saw this little heart pincushion, I thought it was the cutest thing ever, so ordered the kit and was pleasantly surprised to see how easy and quick it was to make it. No hunting around to get what you need, everything comes with the kit and very little sewing involved except the actual putting together of the heart. The needles and the threads do the rest.

I keep this one as a lovely decoration only as I like to surround myself with lovely things. I find it good for the soul.

Bruges, Belgium: Anne Stradal, designer

Project: Bruges, Belgium

"Doorways to the Past" series

Designer: Anne Stradal

Type of Needlework: Needlepoint

Photos: 2

Anne's website: http://www.absdesignsonline.com/

Anne's Website Guest Gallery: http://www.absdesignsonline.com/guest_gallery.htm

Anne's blog: http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/

Comments: Why pick a Bruges doorway? Because my husband is from Belgium and I thought he would love me to stitch this and he does.

I have changed some of the stitches used by Anne as I love to add a bit of silk ribbon whenever I can. It adds a bit of dimension to any stitched canvas. I also changed my colors a bit to suit my tastes.

Looking at it I now think that I could have done a few things differently, but I do love how it has turned out. It is on the wall just above my computer so I can look at it as much as I want.

Diamond Iris: Dorothy Lesher, designer

Project: Diamond Iris

Designer: Dorothy Lesher

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photos: 2

ANG CyberPointers' group project: http://www.cyberpointers.org/

ANG Chapter Project Book: http://www.needlepoint.org/CPB/2005.php

Comments: A number of stitchers on ANG CyberPointers have stitched this design.

I have always been a big big fan of Dorothy Lesher. I just love her designs. Working with these colors made me feel so good. There are colors that we all like better than others and whenever we work with them, it makes us feel good. This was one of those times. In all fairness, I must say that I love all colors, just not all the shades of the same color, but I do have my favorites. Normally I tend to rotate around the earth colors but since I don't want to get myself stuck in just a few colors, I often pick other colors that also appeal to me. That is why you will see lots of different colors in my projects.

What I found interesting is how much the finishing was different between us, whether it was the color of the mat, frame, what we put under the canvas as all the holes were not completely filled so we could see through them. It made each project so unique even if we used mostly the same thread colors.

I often take photos on this particular wall because of the lighting. but it is never where the projects end up.

Superstition: Loretta Spears, designer

Project: Superstition (Mystery #13)

Designer: Loretta Spears

Type of needlework: Needlepoint & Pulled thread

Photos: 12

Comments: Now, I find this project so gorgeous. This is another Loretta Spears project, one of her mystery series. This one had a bit of everything in it, pulled thread, which was new to me and had some help with online stitchers, and there was also a bit of beading.

This is such a special design and I had the best of time stitching it. No wonder I love Loretta Spears designs. We all have designers that we prefer because of their style and for me she is one of them, though I have a long list of designers that I just love their work.

Frame weight: Carole Lake, designer

Project: Frame weight (Glitzy Accessories)

Designer: Carole Lake

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photo: 1

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

Comments: Who can resist stitching some stitching accessories and learning how to finish them all? I picked up

 my own colors for this series of 6 different accessories and I just love how they have come out.

 Learned quite a bit about finishing too in the process. That was a lot of fun.