Tassels, beautiful tassels

The past week has seen a slowdown in my stitching.  At the shop, since it is summer, I'm working alone.  The good news is that the past few weeks have been pleasantly busy.  The bad news is that customers are eating into my shop stitching time!!  Trust me, there are many worse problems to have in this business.  I have also committed to stitching 3 extra rows around an 18-mesh Christmas stocking.  I'm over two-thirds finished but I don't like to photograph customer's canvases without their permission, so no photo to show for my efforts.  Also, Dotty is back in town.  For those who don't know or who have forgotten, Dotty is a customer who loves to travel the US taking needlepoint class.  In the past year she has retreated to Vero several times for some one-on-one consultations with me.  If she doesn't like a stitch from the relevant stitch guide, I try to come up with something that will look good but has a lower level of difficulty.  We also use this time to catch up on happenings in our lives since we have known each other since 1981. 

As far as my home stitching is concerned, the US golf open interfered this weekend while I was rooting for Martin Kaymer.  I have also bowed to the obvious and ordered a clip-on light to go on my stretcher bars to aid in stitching the Susan Roberts red-on-red Christmas tree.  I'll let you know more about that when I receive it and test it out.

Trubey (of Trubey Designs) is the former owner of Needle Nicely.  She did many designs that are exclusive to Needle Nicely.  Among those designs are the following featuring tassels.

This mirror frame is approximately 18"x27" on 13mesh.  It was stitched in DMC perle cotton for the design and medici for the background.  The background of that little swag in the inner left-hand corner was stitched in clear prism.  This is mounted on a board and has a wire on the back for hanging.  It is too heavy for our usual method of attaching an easel to the back.

This vest demonstrates another way to utilize the tassel design.  It was stitched on 13mesh using DMC perle for the design and medici for the background. 

This is a photograph of a soft-finish purse that we stitched using a medallion top with tassels cascading down.  It has a twisted cord shoulder strap.  It also was stitched in DMC perle cotton for the design and medici for the background.  The backing is black moire.

Tassels are really versatile.  This is a Christmas stocking which is quite sophisticated in look.  It was painted on 18mesh.












Trubey has also done variations of these tassels on a doorstop, a smaller frame; and several pillow canvases.  These are examples of how a talented artist can adapt a good design to various utilizations.