Palm frond slides, finished

At last!  I have been wondering why I was so anxious to finish stitching these two canvases.  While looking over entries in this blog, I discovered that I started working on the first canvas while I was returning home from the Baltimore needlepoint market in September.  That's a long time for what I consider 2 small canvases.  Ah, well!  

I'm pleased with the effect of the stitches I selected for the small palm trees.  I did the chain stitch for their trunks.  Then, I drew a mental center line on each  individual frond and did a long stitch outward from that center line.  It's rather intimidating for someone like me who likes regimented stitches, but I think the end result is pleasing.

And I don't know whether the sun is rising or setting, but I couldn't arrive at a stitch I liked for it, so I fell back on that old stand-by basketweave.

Now to decide how to finish these two beauties.

On the rug front, I've been receiving emails and phone calls about some of the canvases.  Several people have been dismayed at the sale price.  Please remember that usually a rug is the equivalent of 6 pillow canvases--that should give a good idea of the retail price.  I have sold six canvases to date.  The sale will continue and in the late spring I will probably discount to 50% off.  And I am working on putting the photographs on a separate page on this blog (see heading on the upper right--I am one posted already and do apologize that live has gotten in the way of entering more.). While I think the needlepoint industry is making a rebound, I have decided that at my age I do not need such a large concentration of rug canvases.  As someone remarked, their combined prices would make a good down payment on a house (and that's in Vero Beach, not Blowing Rock, NC where I used to have a shop).  Enough said.  I will go back through my blog's photographs and mark those canvases that have been sold.  Just as I have indicated the Petei canvases that have been sold.