Finishes and so on

This past weekend was our local EGA chapters biennial show. I entered 15 pieces - 8 of which needed finishing first, 1 was framed, the rest I did. I only just scraped in on time - I misjudged how much time I'd have to finish things while our international exchange visitors were here and so ended up with 6 things to finish in 3 days. But I did it. And the judges were impressed enough with two of my (framed) pieces that I got two merit awards.

So without further ado - what you've all been waiting for - photos:

The two ribbons (sorry - I did take my camera to the show, but completely forgot to take actual photos of the ribbons on the pieces and them all on display). They were awarded for An Open Heart and Linda's Celtic Heart.

An Open Heart

Knotwork Garden Box

Tree of Stitches

Bug Collector (I actually found a cool fabric with ants on a gingham background that would have been great if I hadn't already had the fabric I wanted to use, and if it hadn't been red and white and just plain didn't go with pink)

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Birds of a Feather (love the backing fabric on this one, so you get a picture of the back too)

Winter Welcome (I think I need to learn how to make points better lol)

Tempest (and just cos I feel like it, the back on this one too)

Other pieces I entered were Lindas Celtic Heart, Christmas Elf Fairy, African Animals Needlebook, Southwest Amulet bag, Christmas Humbug, Smarties Bookmarker and the Art Deco beaded Ornament. The only requirement was that pieces hadn't been entered into one of their shows before - so that meant that I could choose anything I had that was finished, or I could finish before the show. So I tried to choose a selection of interesting pieces that would hopefully interest people and make them want to stitch.

Speaking of humbugs and other biscornu type finishing shapes - this weekend I'm teaching a construction class for the diamond drop ornaments, 15 sided biscornu (in both the round and horned versions), and the humbug (we're calling the class biscornu variations). I also tacked on the end of the instructions the basic fold the corners of the square in to get a diamond shape just for good measure. I'm just starting to stitch a sample or two, so I'll have to show those to you later (if I remember to take photos as I'm planning for it to also be my donation to the groups seminar basket so I won't be bringing it home).

In other news - I've finished the back of the jumper I'm knitting for DD:

Tomorrow is beading group and we're working on bracelets from February's Bead and Button magazine. Somehow I managed to buy materials not only for the bracelet we'll be doing tomorrow, but for another one from the mag too. Course these may not get completed tomorrow but I'm sure there will be something I can photograph. I did have great fun at the shop choosing the supplies and decided that one of the bracelets will probably be for DD - in pink and purple of course.

And a picture of a recent visitor:

I was looking for something for a birthday present recently and found this (Shalom right at the bottom) - that I love, but unfortunately think it's slightly out of my price range. DH is convinced I can design my own - I'm not so sure, but I'll give it a go :)

Bug Collector

Yet another post about Bug Collector - but this time not to ask more opinions about finishing it. I have finally got around to writing up the caterpillar chart. I couldn't figure out how to make it a picture I could just put in my post - I'm sure I could, but my brain didn't want to spend the time doing it today - so I've made it a PDF file and you can find it here. You can probably ignore most of the writing, but I figured putting it in looked better and more like I knew what I was doing that just having the chart on an otherwise blank sheet of paper.

Bug Collector

I found some blue fabric, so I've got some more photos. I think the blue (either blue) is brighter, and probably goes with the pink fabric better than the green, but somehow I still like the green. I guess either would work, cos green can be grass and blue can be sky. But I'm still sitting on the fence over it.

I almost think the blue is too bright and overpowers the design - if I did use blue it would probably have to be the paler one, even though that isn't my favourite. I think I may be leaning towards the green as it's more background than the blue would be. What do you think?

Bug Collector

I had got my framer to get some samples of brightly coloured frames for Bug Collector last time I was in there. But when they came none of them were right, so I've been thinking of other options to finish it off.

So when I went to town the other day I popped into the fabric shop to see what they had. I came away with this:

I thought I'd use the black as the backing, possibly folded around to the front for an outer frame - not sure if I'd only want it thin, or wide enough so that whole butterflies could be seen. And the green would be my 'mat'. But now I'm second guessing myself and wondering if a blue would be better. What do you think? And how wide would you make the black if you folded it around to the front?

PS. The caterpillar chart is still on my list of things to do - I haven't forgotten yet.

Bug Collector

Ta Da!! It is finished.

I think the caterpillars came out alright if I do say so myself :)

If anyone is interested in my pattern for the caterpillars, let me know and I can post it.

Bug Collector

I'm up to the caterpillar row - that's what will be in empty space. I have designed them, I just need to stitch them.

Bug Collector

And my progress on Bug Collector.

I need to start designing the caterpillars before I get too much further though as I intend them to be the next row.

Bug Collector

I have ants!!! I did take out the extra leg though - the pattern had 7 legs charted and I decided it was better not to confuse DS even if it did balance the bug out.

Next is butterflies and then the added row of caterpillars.

Bug Collector

Got more done on this today. I'm up to the ants. For the caterpillars I thought I would use the centre section of the ant and repeat it in a caterpillar shape, but I've got the butterflies to do first.

Bug Collector

Here is Bug Collector after last week. After this week there is actually less, as I got to the end of the bottom row, and discovered I'd forgotten the extra space in the middle to compensate - so I had to undo half the row and start back again.

Bug Collector

And because yesterday was swimming day - here's Bug Collector.

Bug Collector

I thought I'd give you an update on this now that I can get back to it.

We were a bit early for swimming today so DS was helping me and he was most disappointed that it didn't have caterpillars on it, so I have promised to add a row of caterpillars. I think the green of the flower stems will make nice caterpillars, and they could fit under the butterflies further down. My only reservation is if I've got enough fabric. It should be right if I've centred it correctly and if I don't do them any bigger than the ladybugs. Then I'll have to find another speciality stitch to add in too to make it all the same.

The other option would be to replace one of the existing rows - but I can't choose which one I'd want to go, so I think I'll stick with adding one in.

I think I may have also promised to get a little caterpillar button - there will be a ladybug and a butterfly either side of the words, and DS was very enthusiastic about the idea of a caterpillar button. So first I have to find out if I can get a matching one, and then I'll have to figure out where to put it. Maybe in the middle of the row of caterpillars - although that will look rather out of place compared to the rest. Oh well, I'll see.

Bug Collector

I know - it's the one you've all been waiting for (Bug Collector from Jeannette Douglas Designs) as it's the new exciting one that you haven't seen before (or something). The fabric is a solitaire from Sparklies.

Here it is after my first session on it:

And here it is after the second:

So much for doing one band a week. Still it's getting done, and I'm enjoying it. I'm going to use it as my take to swimming etc piece once Winter Welcome is finished.

The instructions said that the spots on the lady bugs are supposed to be random and that the backstitch around the bugs wasn't necessary especially on the bright version (which this is). I liked the backstitch though so I put it in, and I then added wing and head divisions. It does make the bugs darker, but I like it - I think it adds definition. The spots turned out to not be so random as the bugs are only four stitches wide and they settle in the holes nicely so they all seem to be in the same places. On the right hand bug the knots are a lot bigger as I wrapped the thread twice around the needle, but then decided that the spots were too big, so switched to only one wrap for the rest. I left the first bug alone though as I didn't think it looked that bad.

Bits and pieces

I got my first Jim Wurth Dodecagon ornament (Coronation) this week along with his Bargello 2025 design (if you want to see a picture of this I think you need to join the Yahoo group (Coronation is the middle of the three ornaments shown on the homepage), although Pierrette has a slideshow of her finished ornaments in her December 22 '08 post - she also has a lot of other lovely work there - it's a blog well worth visiting). I've also signed up for the Cyber-pointers chapter of the ANG, so there are lots of fun things going on there too.

I'm going to have to start stitching faster though I think to get done everything I want to do, and I really haven't done much this month - far too busy playing World of Warcraft. I have managed to keep stitching a little bit each week on my UFO (O' Jerusalem), but everything else has hardly any progress, not that O' Jerusalem has much progress, but at least it's doing something.

My Bug Collector I'm still working on the ladybug row (row 2 - the SAL is up to week/row 5) - the instructions say you don't need to backstitch and just put random french knots on as dots, but I've decided I like the look of the backstitch, and I'm also putting in backstitch to mark the wings and head (i.e. a 'Y' shape) and then two spots sort of random on each wing. I find it hard to do random french knots as they always seem to end up following the holes in the fabric, and when the bug is only 4 stitches across it doesn't leave much room for random.

I really want to start the Jim Wurth ornament soon as it is a series of 12 and I'd love to be able to keep up with them as they are sent out (one every two months) - I'm getting the kits too so I've got no excuses about not having materials. I'm just trying to work out when to squeeze them in. There are some other classes I want to sign up for as well that will need some time from me.

I still can't post photos as the server is waiting for some part. Hopefully there might actually be something worth posting (I guess there is bug collector, haven't shown that yet) by the time it's fixed.

Bug Collector

On Saturday I went to my monthly stitching group and I did take the Wedding Prayer, but I didn't take my stand. And as I find it hard to work on something in a frame without a stand I gave up and started Bug Collector from Jeannette Douglas Designs which I can do in hand without any frames or hoops.

I'm doing mine in the bright colourway on a pink fabric. I can't give you a photo of it at the moment as there has been a hardware failure with our web server so all our webpages are down until it's fixed - which will hopefully be soon. I'll put one up as soon as I can.

It's one I've wanted to do for a while, but only got the push to get it out when a SAL (stitch-a-long) was started on one of the boards I visit to do one band a week, so I decided to at least attempt to join in. The others started the last week of January, but I didn't get around to getting the final threads until last week, so I'm starting a bit late. I've almost caught up though as the sampler is only about 3 inches wide (45 stitches to be precise), so a band doesn't take long.