Easter Egg called "In the Blue": 2007 Egg Exchange: Anne Stradal, designer

Project: In the Blue

(2007 Easter Egg Exchange)

Designer: Anne Stradal

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photo: 1

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/

Anne's Original Easter egg stitched in pink here.

Needlepoint_Etc Yahoo group

Comments: This lovely egg comes for an Easter egg exchange that was done in 2007 in the Needlepoint_Etc Yahoo group. Only a few people participated in that exchange and things went very smoothly and lots of lovely Easter eggs were exchanged between the participants.

In this exchange I inherited Anne Stradal's lovely Easter egg called "In the Pink", appropriate name I thought of giving it since the original one that she had stitched was blue and called "In the Blue".

I now have 3 Easter eggs and slowly, very slowly I am building myself a little collection. WRONG, I have only 2, since I have given away the one called "In the Garden" in that same exchange. BOO HOO, my collection is growing even slower than I thought. Well, I suppose that it means that I have to get cracking and stitch some more.

Christmas Ornament: 2004 Ornament Exchange

Project: 2004 Christmas Ornament Exchange

Designer: Unknown to me

Ornament stitched by Mary Georges

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photo: 1

Yahoo group: Needlepoint_etc

Comments: Many years ago, we used to do exchanges at Christmas on this group, but they were stopped as there were too many difficulties with such exchanges with so many members in the group.

The honor system involved in such exchanges has always been a bit of a challenge no matter who the group is and worst when big groups are involved.

I have handled some exchanges in much smaller groups and they were a lot of work, a lot of hard work in order to make sure that everyone gets a fair deal.

The fairest one (and I say these words loosely here)  is when everyone participating in the exchange sends their finished projects to the person in charge of the exchange, which in turn distributes them all to the participants. If someone sends one, then they get one.

In the honor system, it often happens unfortunately that some participants (as there are always more than one) do not send any but do get one just the same and they just keep it just the same instead of telling the person in charge that they can't participate anymore and if they do receive one then contacting the person in charge of the exchange and asking for the name of the person they should send it to, as some participants will be without an ornament if they unfairly keep it.

In the end this behavior spoils the fun for everybody else, mostly for the person who was expecting to receive an ornament, for the person in charge of the exchange and also for the group in general as someone has to eventually take the hard decision of putting an end to such exchanges.

The "send one, get one" exchange does however considerably increase the amount of work for the person in charge of the exchange as she needs to repack all the ornaments received, address them with the names of their new owners, bring them to the post office, etc. It is also more expensive for each participant as they have to pay twice, first to send their own ornaments and then again to get another one back. Some do not mind the extra charge but others find it a bit difficult financially.

This lovely ornament that I have received in the 2004 ornament exchange was stitched by Mary Georges. I just love that design and this little cutie has been decorating my Christmas trees ever since. If you would like to see more about the other ornaments that have been exchanged in 2004, please click the link above next to "Project".

Tomorrow, I will show you an Easter ornament that I have received which is very pretty.

Christmas Crystal Bell: Joan Lohr, designer

Project: Christmas Crystal Bell

Designer: This is actually an adaptation of Christmas Crystal design

 for Rainbow Gallery designed by Joan Lohr.

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photo: 1

Some of Joan Lohr designs and books seen on Rainbow Gallery.

A free pattern here

Rainbow Gallery free designs here.

Comments: It has been such a long time that I have stitched this project that I can't recall the name of the person who made this adaptation for our little group. Her first name may have been Mary, but not sure at all. It came from a 1996 Christmas Ornament Program and this one is the #9 in a Series of 14. The actual design was a little square.

I have been putting this little Christmas ornament on my Christmas tree ever since.

Crazy Quilt Heart

Project: Crazy Quilt Heart

Name of designer: I created this little heart with a bit of this and a bit of that

like all crazy quilting projects

Type of needlework: Crazy Quilting

Photo: 1

Comments: This is a little crazy quilt heart experiment that I did with this project.

I found some fabric that I thought went well together. I had a special cigarette silk print lady that I wanted to use for this project so I wanted the fabric to go well with her colors. I needed something to put around the silk print, so found some tiny lace but it was white, so I dyed it green and then attached. I then added a few buttons.

I stitched a bird house with some climbing roses stitched with silk ribbons and added a bit of grass at the base.

I wanted a spider web with spiders, so added that at the bottom of the heart. Just above I have added a bit of lace with some pearls attached.

One of the seam treatment was made with silk ribbon roses ondulating up and down.

Stitched a bird flying in the direction of the bird house and attached both a metallic bird and dragonlady and I was done. Finished it as a heart.

If I were to do it again, I would finish it differently. Perhaps one day, I may undo that finishing and do a different one. Will see (smiling)

Faithful Companions: Susan O'Connor, designer

Project: Faithful Companions

(Scissor fobs)

Designer: Susan O'Connor of Victoria, Australia

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photos: 2

Inspirations magazine Issue #25 project, pages 28 - 33

Some of Susan other designs here.

Comments: I have made those two lovely scissor fobs designed by Susan O'Connor for a friend some years ago. She was in need of some scissor fobs and I had just seen some in my Inspirations magazine, so I thought of surprising her with a couple. They were fun to stitch and relatively easy to finish too.

As usual I have not made any for myself. Isn't it always the same thing with us stitchers?

Complete instructions for stitching and finishing including the special tassel included in the magazine with lots and lots of steps by steps photos.

(Photo showing the back of the scissor fobs)

A Little Story with Artistic Trading Cards: The Secret Knicker Gang

ATC # 1: Created by Elaine

Project: A Litttle Story with Artistic Trading Cards

Designers: The Secret Knicker Gang

Type of needlwork: Artistic Trading Cards

Photos: 7

Comments: The idea of creating a little story with ATCs (Artistic Trading Cards) came to the Secret Knicker Gang, minus myself, during the time we were making the miniature knickers.

As I said in a previous post here, we had lots of fun, exchanging ideas, joking around, etc. and since I am Francophone, I sometimes express myself in ways that is not what one can call "perfect" English and it makes things funny at times.

Anyway, we kept talking about dropping our knickers at the post office to send to Terry and it did not take too long before ideas germinated in their mind and they started plotting something else.

Without my knowing anything about it, the Secret Knicker Gang decided to play a secondary joke on me this time around and made those little ATCs telling a little story. Each member of the Secret Knicker Gang was responsible for her part in that story.

In the 1st Artistic Trading Card above, Elaine established my position as Commander-in-Chief of the Secret Knicker Gang. Would that mean that I was the "bossy" one?

In the 2nd one below, Jackie created a POSTER with my photo and the knickers that got me on the Ten Most Wanted, mostly at post offices.

In the 3rd ATC created by Linda, the Gang tried to establish a good defense for me or perhaps I was just in plain denial about the whole thing. Sometimes they go hand in hand.

In the 4th one created by Jill, she put me in a different pair of knickers, one that would fit better with the prison life that might or would be in store for me, if things went all wrong.

In the 5th ATC created by Catharine, we can see my initials, a saw, a heart and a pair of knickers. Does that  mean a broken heart due to dropping my knickers at the Post Office or over a bad possible outcome like "life in prison"?

In the 6th one, Denise provided me with some useful tools that I might/would need in prison, perhaps to launch a daring escape.

In the 7th  and final ATC created by Kerry, she is showing everyone a precedent which perhaps might be used in court by my attorney for my defense. I am thinking that if that does not prove my innocence, I am not sure what will. I may be able to stay home after all (big grin)

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SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT A POSSIBLE MOUNTMELLICK STITCH ALONG

 Yvette Stanton is considering having a Stitch Along with one of her Mountmellick project if enough stitchers are interested in participating. You may read more about it here and perhaps you could leave her a message letting her know if that is something that you might be interested in participating in.

Yvette Stanton website is Vetty Creations.  I intend to participate myself. I have got most of her books, but have not yet stitched anything of hers, so I thought that this would be an ideal way to start me going with this technique.

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Now, let's continue with the little story created by The Secret Knicker Gang

ATC #2: Created by Jackie Y.

ATC #3: Created by Linda F.

ATC #4: Created by Jill

ATC #5: Created by Catharine

ATC #6: Created by Denise

ATC #7: Created by Kerry

-- END OF STORY and no harm ever came to me as of course there was never any actual dropping of knickers except of course those that had already been packed in a nice little package for Terry --

Miniature knickers for a friend in need: The Secret Knicker Gang, designers

(Created by Catharine)

Project: Miniature knickers for a friend in need

Designers: The Secret Knicker Gang

Type of needlework: Mixed media and Sewing

Photos: 8

Comments: I bet that some of you are wondering what miniature knickers are doing on my blog.

I sometimes  mention that I used to co-own a crazy quilt group with a friend. Well, it all started back then as a big joke concerning my good friend Terry.

I am a big teaser and there is something that happened during that time that just got my imagination going. She often said to me and also to the group after someone wrote something especially funny that she almost peed in her knickers while reading it.

Oh yes, they use the word "knickers" in dear old England, so everything started from those innocent enough words, at least in her own mind. BUT, I am French speaking (Canadian) and down here knickers is not quite the word we would use for such item. When I first encountered the word, of course nobody had to draw me any picture, I  knew what she was talking about, but somehow the visuals I got each time, in my probably much too fertile imagination, were of those old fashioned undergarments. I am talking years ago here and of course each time that I visualize any of them, I laughed myself something silly.

I started chatting about this to some other friends in that group and can't remember exactly the sequence of events, but some of us thought it would be such a funny thing to just make her some miniature knickers and just put them in the mail one by one as we each completed ours. I could almost envision the expression on her face (strong imagination helping here) when she would be opening the first little package, then the second, then the third ..................... well, you see the picture I am sure.

A few friends thought this would be fun too and wanted to join me in this little adventure and they in turn talked to a few of their friends and we ended up a nice little group of friends all wanting to participate in this little joke. 

In order to keep our emails back and forth secrets, we decided it would be better to have a special place where we could exchange ideas and jokes and we created a special group just for that purpose and we called ourselves "The Secret Knicker Gang". I must say that we had the best of time making them (I know that I sure did) and joking amongst ourselves about them as we were working on them. Oh yes, almost forgot, the idea of the joke was that Terry would have lots of spare knickers to change when .......... well I am sure that you are getting the idea and I don't have to spell it out, right?

You will see the photos of the knickers made by our little group with the names of the person who made each one of them.

(Created by Denise)

(Created by Elaine)

(Created by Jackie)

(Created by Jill)

Do you remember the lovely angel that Jill  made for me?

Well she made one for me after I had seen the miniature one here and loved it so much.

(Created by Kerry)

(Created by Linda)

(Created by Pierrette)

All dressed up: Bookmark

Project: All dressed up

(Bookmark)

Designer: A composite of drawings that I put together

 to create a bookmark for the son of a friend who was studying Arts

Type of needlework: Embroidery and painting

Photo: 1

Comments: I was looking for something special to make as a gift for the adult son of a dear friend of mine who had returned to university in order to study Arts. He was doing lots of paintings and I suddenly thought that it might be fun to create a special bookmark for him. I started searching around and found some drawings at different places on the web and made a composite drawing, sized it to fit the dimension of a regular bookmark and then transferred my design on fabric with a pencil.

I did a lot of painting on the design, adding a bit here and a bit there, trying to create the impression of an oil painting with watercolours of course. When I was relatively happy with it, I then stitched the outline. The focus on this project was primarily painting on fabric. Of course being a stitcher I had to do a bit of stitching on it and by stitching an outline it defined better the contours.

This is a project that I have really enjoyed working on. It was pure experimentation from start to finish and I had absolutely no idea how the whole project would end up.

Tara: Devaki Parasuramar, designer

Project: Tara

Designer: Devaki Parasuramar of South Australia

Type of needlework: Ribbon work, silk ribbon and embroidery

Photos: 2

Inspirations magazine: Project comming from Issue #23, pages 52 - 55

Embroidery Canada: Framing article from Susan Donn called "It's time to display"

(Issue Spring 2007)

Comments: This is another of those projects that when I saw it, I wanted to make it. Devaki, the designer, said that one evening she was watching the movie "Gone with the Wind" and got her inspiration to create Tara. Perhaps that is exactly the reason why I felt like I just had to make her for myself as I just love that movie.

The instructions are very well written and it was not difficult to make except that some pieces were rather small and a bit difficult to manipulate but I managed in the end.

For the framing, I had read an article from Susan Donn in Canada in the EAC's Guild magazine about doing finishing with fabric. It is a wonderful idea as it looks good and saves a bit of money from having to bring the finished piece to the framer. Anyway, I think that the more ideas we can get about how to finish our pieces, the better.

That is one of the reason that I belong to lots of Guilds as you just never know where you will find great ideas about projects, finishing, meeting new designers, correspondence classes, etc.

Wild Rose: Patricia Hartman, designer

Project: Wild Rose

Designer: Patricia Hartman

Type of needlework: Bargello

Photos: 2

Other designs from Patricia Hartman here.

ANG National: http://www.needlepoint.org/index.php

ANG Chapter Booklet:  http://www.needlepoint.org/CPB/index.php

ANG CyberPointers: http://www.cyberpointers.org/

Comments: This is a free project that came from the Chapter Project Booklet that as a member of CyberPointers I was able to obtain and stitch with fellow bargello enthusiasts.

I have used the same colors that Patricia Hartman has used for hers, but since none of us have actually seen a color photograph of the initial project, my placing of colors is in all probability different than what did Patricia with hers.

Those are not quite the colors that I normally work with but decided to use them anyway since the name of this project suggested it was a "wild" rose. I must say that I am glad that I followed my instincts and went with her colors instead of changing them as I really love how it looks.

(Close-up of a section with the Jessica's mistake)

I realized that I had made a mistake with the Jessica after taking this photo

and have corrected that mistake afterwards.

UPDATE: JUNE 30/2010

Well, strange things seem to be following me these days. A bit of story here. First of all, I would highly recommend for anyone stitching this piece to stitch it on a bigger piece of canvas than recommended. It will make things much easier for framing.

There was a bit of a mix up between my framer and what my husband had asked her to do with this piece. I requested it to be framed diamond shape. In the past when I made special requests I took the precaution of cutting the canvas according to the orientation I wanted. I did not do it this time around as I felt there was not a whole lot of canvas surrounding the stitched piece, so I just left it as it was after stitching.

They decided to put a black mat under the black canvas and it does look absolutely wonderful. The two frames selected I also love. There is a tiny one inside the bigger pink one.

The only problem is that I ended up with it framed like you can see below, which is not bad at all since this is not a big piece. My framer said that she would redo it if that is what I wanted but I would end up with a smaller frame, which is something that I really don't want, so I have decided to keep it like it is.

Things would have just been so much simpler if my canvas had been bigger to start with. I am one of those stitchers which prefer to have a bigger piece of canvas than a smaller one. Unfortunately for me I had no idea of the dimensions needed when I started working on this project. Anyway, I do like it just the same. It is just one of those things but have learned a few lessons out of it. 

(Framed Wild Rose)