Alla Turca SAL, Part 1

Yeah, I started another SAL! What was I thinking? This one is called Alla Turca. It is by Pelin Tezer and is a 9 part freebie here. You can email her and she will send you the first 6 parts, or join the Yahoo group StitchersHeaven, where the parts are also available. I think it was the peacocks in the middle that got me! This is part 1 for the most part, with a little straying to other parts. The fabric is a Silkweaver 28ct cashel and the threads are Weeks Peacock and RG gold Sparkle Braid. And yep, it's stitched over 1! Call it hockey withdrawal-induced insanity....I'm still coming down from the Carolina Hurricanes great run thru the playoffs, which ended too soon, alas!

Biscornu for May

Finally, an actual finish for May! This is my 5th biscornu of the year, a freebie design from Casey Buonaugurio Designs called the Frog Biscornu (or it could be a pillow pinkeep, a needlebook, etc.). The fabric is a green Silkweaver Solo 32ct lugana, threads are DMC, and the two buttons are from Just Another Button Company. I just love they way the frogs are all eying that fly in the middle! Anyway, here it is before assembly....


And here are the frog top and flower bottom after assembly.

Castles in the Air, pt.2

Here it is, as promised! I have finished adding all of part 2 of Papillon's Castles in the Air, and am looking forward to the next part! After this I will do a biscornu and work on another tote, just for the change of pace from urns and garlands!

Eagle has landed again!

I have been really busy this month for some reason (birthdays, Mother's Day, hockey playoffs) and I haven't been able to be online much, but at least I'm stitching! I am almost finished with part 2 of the Papillon Castles mystery and should have an update on that soon. In the meantime I got another piece I finished last year back from my framer, and finally got a decent picture of it! This is Majestic Eagle, from a Dimensions/Sunset kit, which until last year had been a UFO...my DH Matt requested it for his office at work, and it's finally ready to hang there! (it's hanging briefly in the kitchen so I could take a picture).

April Recap, May Goals...

April Recap
Work on WiPs....
~Still trying to get back to Holland!...now Part 6 all done!
~Finish freebie Peacock from Papillon Done!
New Starts...
~Do another gift totebag Done!
~Do a biscornu...Pansy Biscornu Done!
~Do an ornie or other small piece...Peacock Heart Done!
~Start Papillon's Castles in the Air Part 1 is Done!
Finishing...
~At least one every month
Ornament Done!
Biscornu Done!

May Goals
Work on WiPs...
~Holland Landscapes, Pt.7 Not this month...
~Castles in the Air, Pt.2 Done!
~New Zealand Map Not this month either...
~Kira's Tote bag Started...
New Starts...
~Do a biscornu...Frog Biscornu Done!
~My choice...Alla Turca SAL First 3 parts of 9 done!
Finishing...
~At least one item Biscornu done!

Speaking of Papillon....

Yep, just as I start the new Papillon Creations mystery SAL for 2009, I finally get the SAL from last year back from the framer!

This is How Does Your Garden Grow? Stitched on Silkweaver's Solo 32ct Belfast linen with Needle Necessities floss, and MH beads.

I also finished a CharlesCraft tote bag for my niece's birthday in May! The design is from the My Aunt's Attic blog, a butterfly motif stitched with 5 different Anchor varigated flosses.

Castles in the Air-New Start!

This is my first part of Papillon Creations new 24-part SAL, Castles in the Air. I am loving it already! I did make a couple of minor changes to lighten it up a bit, by using single threads on some specialty stitches calling for two, by leaving off the second step B of Motif 9 Smyrna crosses, and by adding the Light Peacock crystal bicone to the center rather than beads. I'm still not sure about the orange color in the four outside flowers, and may change it later....wait and see!
The fabric is Silkweaver's Morning Mist 32ct opalescent lugana. Threads and beads will be listed on the Gallery on the Papillon website shortly, or you can see them here. Scroll down a bit and you will see this same picture with the threads listed.

Music and Stitching

There was an interesting discussion on one of the Yuku boards I visit about designers and their "styles", and it got me thinking....here's a bit of what I posted.
To me designers are like musicians, they each have their own "style" and pretty much stick to it, so if you see one of their designs you easily recognize it, just as you recognize a musician by hearing their songs. The other interesting parallel between music and stitching to me is the fact that designers provide us the patterns (the sheet music, if you will) and we "perform" the stitching. Just as it takes skill to play a piece of music beautifully, it takes skill to stitch a beautiful pattern! Some stitchers become so good, they morph into designers, but you don't have to be a composer to perform a great symphony, nor do you have to be able to design to stitch a great needlework piece. There is a place for "cute" designs (think simple childrens' songs) for "traditional" designs, or for the "symphony" that is TW's body of work......and they all have value to stitchers.
I'd love to hear what other stitchers think about this....why does a particular designer's "style" appeal, or not? (no need to name names if you don't want to) Why do you like a particular "style" of music over another? I'm not the hip music listener I used to be, I still prefer soft rock, a la James Taylor, over today's trends. My DH on the other hand, likes country music!
What stitching "style" do you favor? Does this idea make you feel good about the stitching you do? (as a musician would feel good about their performance?) I have used this idea to explain what I do and why I love to stitch to the stitching "layman", and it makes sense to them.

As for my actual stitching lately...been caught up in the NHL playoffs and my team, the Carolina Hurricanes so I haven't actually gotten much stitched (well, if you count during the commercials and intermissions!). Hope to have the first part of Papillon's Castles in the Air done today and will post a picture soon! Series is tied 2-2, so.....Go 'Canes!

Biscornu for April

Here's my April biscornu for the Basket of Biscornu Blog. The designer is Toni Fojtasek for Dinky-Dyes. The Pansy Biscornu chartpack comes with the silks. I used Silkweaver's Jubilation 32ct opalescent lugana, and subbed petite beads along with the called for JABC pansy buttons. Finished it last night, April 15th.This is the top before assembly, the second picture is the complete biscoru.



I don't have any pansies growing this year (the rabbits always eat them anyway!) but I do have many lovely trees in bloom...these pics were taken Easter Weekend. They are azaleas, cherry blossoms, white and pink dogwood, and even holly tree blossoms! I love spring!

Latest finish!

My latest finish is another peacock design...a freebie handout at my LNS from the Gift of Stitching magazine. It didn't have a name, so I'm calling it Peacock Heart. Stitched over one with 1 strand of Weeks Peacock on 28ct cashel and mounted in a gold heart ornament frame.

Spring Tulips!

I spent the first week+ of April working on my Holland Landscapes by Chatelaine, and finished the tulips over the right side window scene, bringing me to the half-way point on this large piece!

Here is a pic of the whole thing so far....

The next pic is a close-up of the center, where I changed out the large crystal cube for a Mill Hill tulip Treasure which I think matches the small flowers around the center box very well!

Over the weekend I worked on a couple of small pieces, as I am waiting for fabric to start the Papillon Castles in the Air. More later....

Peacock by Papillon

My first finish of April is Papillon's freebie The Peacock. Stitched on 28ct white linen with called for GAST threads. I have a small stack of peacock related projects that I'm trying to get to, and this one called loudest. I left off the outermost border because I was running low on the blue floss, but I don't think it takes away from it at all. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, so I'll add it to the box of finished items for now.

Time to get out Holland Landscapes again! Still waiting for fabric to start the new Papillon SAL.