Mar 2, 2010

FUTZ FUTZ FUTZ

It's that time of year....I seem to futz about like a 300-pound hummingbird with nothing specific to keep me focused on any one thing. It's not warm enough to have Spring Fever just yet (or is it?), so I'm chalking this one up to Olympic Withdrawal Syndrome.

Here are a few updates on some pieces that I've played with recently:
Ahhh, Laura J. Perin's Lily of the Valley collage. This one really is so much fun to stitch, and now that the borders are finished it goes very very quickly. I have a silk LOV flower to attach in the middle (a' la Daisy Collage), so I'm anxious to get moving on this one. I wanted to do ten of these this year. Looks like I might be a little behind with that particular goal (she says while rolling her eyes and dripping with sarcasm).

Next up is the Cirque de Fleur class from Orna Willis. I received the next lesson, but have not yet completed it. I feel like I'm in school again and am late studying for mid-terms. Better get a move on with this if I want to keep up with the group. One of the things I love about classes like this is the opportunity to play with fibers that I've never used before. I discovered that I kinda' like Trebizond but that Neon Rays just doesn't blow my skirt up. At all:


I pulled The Drawn Thread's Spring Arbor because I loved the color of the linen. Sadly, I didn't write anything down when I purchased this a ga-jillion years ago, so I have no idea what the linen actually could be, but methinks it will be fun to work with:


This is the piece that I will probably play with tonight and for the rest of the week. It's a brand spanking new design from Needle Delights Originals called Rainforest Crunch. It's on 18ct. mono canvas and uses Watercoulours in fabulous colors in some fun specialty stitches. Who couldn't love this one?


I finished everything but the lettering on Shepherd's Bush My Land. I just can't decide if I want to do the lettering all around the outer edge as charted, or if I want to wait for some clever stitcher to provide an alternative. Aunt Chrissy thinks I should wait and finish it up later. What do you think? (A small sample of the chart lettering is at the bottom of the piece.):


And finally, we come to a piece from the Needlepointers magazine. (This is a publication that you receive when you're a member of the American Needlepoint Guild.) Ro Pace designed a tribute to Jean Hilton called Top of the Hill. Although this was charted for canvas, I decided to try it on congress cloth, and I switched out the colors. I never knew Jean Hilton and have not yet worked on anything she designed, but I think this is just lovely. The first Jessicas (the round stitches) are a little rough, but once I got the hang of them I really did enjoy doing them. I'm going to stitch the design four times in a big block:


That's the report for today! Happy Tuesday!

30 comments:

  1. Oh WELCOME HOME!!! We did so miss you while you were on your jaunt to "Vancouver!".

    All that you are stitching right now looks great.

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  2. The patterns that you are working on (and your progress photos) look so beautiful! You seem to be quite drawn to designs with rich, beautiful colours.

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  3. Glad you are back in blog land. Love the Shepherds bush and notice you have put 2010 at the bottom, so I guess whatever you decide you have a deadline. I kind of like the letterig, but can't wait to see what other folks (and ultimately you decide).

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  4. I love your stitching! All the starts are gorgeous!

    Anne

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  5. Wow! You have been busy! I guess Stewey decided to let you out to play!

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  6. I am soooooo glad you are back in blogland... I couldn't hardly function without a Coni and Stewey fix.... Let's not do that again, OK? ;}

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  7. Welcome back from Vancouver!

    My goodness you are stitching up a storm. I don't know which one is prettier. They are all gorgeous.

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  8. So many gorgeous projects! OWS sounds pretty serious, so I think you should do whatever makes you feel better.

    My Land is almost ready for the framer! Too pretty.

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  9. Wow, you've gotten a lot of accomplished! I was wondering if Stewey had you tied up somewhere. Good to see all your wonderful projects.

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  10. I love love LOVE your wip Top Of The Hill. The Jessicas are fabulous, but it`s your colours that are so stunning.

    I understand about futzing...I am trying to sub a simple heart for another motif in a design, and can`t decide about the style...so I am procrastinating by reading blogs. I may just steal a heart from your Shepherds Bush piece...

    Love to Stewey...

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  11. Those are some really amazing pieces. Can't wait to see more of which ever you decide to work on.

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  12. We have very simliar tastes in designs. I love the Rainforest Crunch, and now I'll have to find some place to get the pattern! And, I'm in the Orna Willis class too (but I haven't started it yet), and I'm planning to do the Ro Pace design, although I was thinking of changes colors to the 2010 Olympic pallette!

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  13. I fell in love with that Rainforest Crunch piece too and I'm not even a stitcher of canvas. Could I be??? Is it hard to learn because if not, I might step over and get that pattern..... Patti

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  14. Very glad you're back.
    Love your Shepherd's Bush piece. I had Sail Away for Christmas from my brother (no, he wasn't very clever guessing what I wanted, just kind - I ordered it and he paid for it and wrapped it up). I hadn't started it yet but I'm getting itchy fingers to start it now after seeing yours. You make me feel it's ok to have umpty-teen projects on the go!

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  15. I always enjoy seeing your WIPs and finishes! I am really looking forward to seeing you progress with Lily of the Valley. Not only my birth month flower, but my favorite of all!

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  16. Fabulous starts and beautiful progress - love the colors on the last pic (drat - already forgot the name of it.... pitiful, I know). I LOVE SB, but have never been a big fan of their lettering. I've redone several myself and I'm sure you could as well, if you wanted to do that. Or.... just wait; someone will eventually do it.

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  17. Oh my, I think I'm in love with Rainforst Crunch. I only do cross-stitch (cause I don't know anything else), but I might have to learn if I can ever find that pattern.

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  18. ML,

    I have to agree - I too only do cross stitch, but after seeing Rainforest Crunch...I just love it! It's so gorgeous! Just may have to cave in and get it in the future.

    Coni, So Glad you are back! I just love Stewey, he is too adorable, please kiss him for me??

    Hugs,
    Jen

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  19. Add me to the list of cross stitchers who could seriously leap to canvas work due to "Rainforest Crunch." That one has the perfect combination of texture and color. So perfect, in fact, that I think you should just stitch that one so we can all watch your progress on it. Just a thought.

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  20. Glad to see you made it home and back to bloggerville safely! Now, you MUST work on and post more picture of Cirque de Fleur asap. It's blowing my mind. GORGEOUS!

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  21. good to have you back.......
    hey "crunch" is cool!

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  22. I missed you and Stewey. You have been productive!

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  23. Wow Coni!!! All your wips are beautiful! I especially like Rainforest Crunch. The colors are beautiful! My Land is really pretty too - you're almost done! :)

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  24. Thanks for enabling. Rainforest Crunch here I come!

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  25. Yay! The Spinster's back! Did you find the bobsled team?

    Your work is all so beautiful!

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  26. Beautiful projects all, but I, too, have fallen in love with Rainforest Crunch. And seeing your WIP, I love it even more. Off to find an ONS to ship it to me posthaste.

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  27. All of your WIP are just so beautiful. I really wish I could bring myself to work on a couple of needlepoint patterns but i just cant seperate myself from linen. I wanted to tell you that I have been working on a lot of SB patterns and I have been changing the lettering to a Mary Cox alphabet that I just love. I just recently finished SB O Beautiful. If you visit my blog it is in the most recent post.(or maybe the 2nd after tonight) I changed the lettering completely and think it has come out perfect. But i will say. Even without the words, your pattern looks great.I wouldn't have known there was supposed to be words if you didn't include that tid bit of info. Hope you have a great week!
    ~*Candi*~
    candiland-21.blogspot.com

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  28. Glad you guys are back! I think we were ready to send out a search party! I want to do the Top of the Hill project also but I will NOT start a new project until I get something finished!!!(Do you believe that? I have a bridge to sell...)

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  29. You have some beautiful things to work on, and I really love the colours in crunch

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  30. Oh my word! I've loved your canvas work for ages now (and think I've commented once or twice, I'm bad about lurking). But now, I think I'm going to have to save my meager pennies to buy that Rainforest Crunch and start another stitching addiction. The colours in it have me just drooling. Which is interesting because they're not my normal palette.
    Give Stewie ear scritchies for me,
    Heather
    Oh, and I loved the Rumba Panties reference! :)

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