Susan Roberts trio of trees

I've been trying to accumulate the variety of fibers used in the stitching of Susan Roberts' 5" tree from her trio of trees.  I'm doing it on the red canvas, though it is also available on green canvas.

This is a photograph provided.  Each tree comes with the instructions for that size and the drawn canvases to produce that one tree.  

There are four canvases with drawn outlines and some of the overstitched design drawn on.

I'm still waiting for some of the necessary fibers to arrive from suppliers.  Now to put the first canvas on stretcher bars and start stitching.

new top of a wall and more new canvases

Macy put these canvases up on the wall to replace the 4 Melissa Shirley previously there.  The first on the left is a sand hill crane by The Point of It All. The next is a snowy egret by Susan Roberts
Needlepoint.  The center canvas is a rhinoceros montage by Joy Juarez.  Then a pair of canvases from Treglown Designs.  You have to look closely to see that one canvas has two birds, the other only one.

This is one of a pair (I think--there may be more in the series) of seashore-related designs from Associated Talents.

In real life, I enjoy watching geckos in action and I am discovering that I also like buying canvases depicting them.  The one to the left is from Associated Talents.

I ordered several different designs from this purse style from Clara Wells.  I intend to stitch one this summer for a shop model.  I think her designs are quite elegant.

 While a realistic view of a shrimp, it definitely doesn't show its most attractive side.  Well, maybe it does and there is no attractive view!!  Alice Van Trease designed this.

Joanie Sherman of The Studio designed this purse canvas.  It's sort of reminiscent of some of the elements Klimt utilized.  I really want to stitch this but I already have a partially-stitched shop model of this size and a completed model of the smaller version.  Sigh!  I suppose I should be a virtuous person and finish stitching the one I've already started.  But that's no fun. 

Rugs and wall hangings now 60% off!

It's time to increase the discount on the rug and wall hanging canvases Needle Nicely has in stock.  The majority have been reduced to 60% off.  The exceptions are some old painting masters that are shop worn but will stitch beautifully; and one canvas with a slight flaw--those are 70% off.  All prices are indicated.  Please go to the two lists on the right-hand side of this blog to see the pictures, dimensions, mesh, and price.

Thursday I went to see the National Theatre's high definition transmission of the play "War Horse".  What a wonderful production.  The horses are puppets and are handled so masterfully, each by 3 puppeteers, that you soon forget they aren't real horses.  I know a movie was made using real horses, but I highly recommend your seeing a stage production of this.

I just returned half an hour ago from the high definition transmission of the Metropolitan Opera's production of "Prince Igor".  The music was gorgeous (it contains "Stranger in Paradise" among other music), but it was just too typically Russian for my taste (dark, battle losses, debauchery...).  Most of the roles were sung by Russians who were interviewed during the two intermissions.  One of them said that the ending would bring tears to our eyes,  it was so happy and uplifting.  Excuse me?  Sure Prince Igor escaped captivity and returned home to help rebuild his country, but he seemed half-witted (from his head injury?) and his country was destitute.  Still, I remind myself that I'm still learning about opera and I need to see a broad selection of them to enable me to know what I do enjoy.  I already have a short list of which ones I don't need to see again!  Sadly, most of those are the modern operas that the Met has been trying to promote.   They do one a year in high definition and so far they have consistently been turkeys.

Scallop shell 2

I decided that I liked the look of the outer row of camel-colored slanted gobelin and want it to show on the finished pillow.  Therefore, I am adding another border of red that will become the seam and also be under the cording so most of my camel border will show.  In case you wonder why I selected red for the outer border, I just happened to have part of a skein left from "Chomp"--and it's visually more attractive than another border of camel (though it will only show until the pillow is assembled).

At the shop I'm doing French knots for trim on Santa's suit on two Christmas stockings we are finishing the stitching on for a customer.  Santa's beard is the long/short split stitch.  I'm also doing some tutoring of Dotty on projects that she has from various classes she has taken in the past year.  Tomorrow we're going to discuss ruching silk ribbon and then attaching it to the canvas.

I also set up the new sewing machine for hemming canvases.  Our previous one froze up.  We took it to be repaired, he fixed it (I could see the stitches on the fabric scrap he left in the presser foot).  I plugged it in, turned it on--and it froze again.  He fixed it again, free of charge.  Marcia stitched with it for about 20 minutes before it froze again.  Out of here!  Then I foolishly walked into Sears and bought the most basic machine they had in stock.  I'm not even sure it is suitable for a child.  The best part of it was a sewing kit that was a freebie.  Both of these machines are going to be donated to a local thrift shop (it has a repairman!).  I went on-line to Sears' website and managed to buy the equivalent of our frozen machine.  Three weeks of frustration and $120 of wasted money.  Sigh!  I remind myself "it's only money".  The only good thing about not having a working machine was that I could procrastinate about finishing a canvas into a pocket for one of the Pischke Pocket-type tote bags.  I have promised myself that come Monday morning I'll be a good girl and work on it.  I'll post photos when I finish. 

NOTE:  I came back after half an hour and noticed that the scallop photograph hadn't published.  So I have added it (again!). 

more key fobs

It has been a frustrating day--Earthlink's DSL has been down all day.  Of course, you can't talk with a real person about anything.  They did suggest (that awful recorded voice) that it might help to unplug everything.  That worked for about 10 minutes a few hours ago and I just tried it again.  I have the feeling I'm on borrowed time.  Don't the powers that be realize that I no longer have Olympic curling to distract me and I need my Double Down Casino fix? 

Elizabeth Turner Collection now has leather self-finishing key fobs.  I received my January order yesterday along with the complimentary rack.  I took them out of the plastic so you could see the designs without the flash reflection.  There are two shapes from which to choose.

This is the Madonna canvas from a new Alice Peterson creche set.

Scallop shell...and more

I've had this canvas from Trish set aside to stitch for a shop model for too many years and decided last week that this was its opportunity for stardom.  It's 10mesh and I feel the need right now to do a mainly tent stitch canvas.

 I'm changing the colors.  I'm using silk 'n ivory, doubled in the needle, for the tan and navy and a doubled strand of silk lame braid for the red.  The red border and the outside margin is the slanted gobelin.  The remainder of the canvas will be tent stitch (basketweave where possible).  I've noticed some reluctance among my customers to attempting the pattern stitches I have done on canvases I have blog-stitched.  I'm not into intimidation, but rather comfort, so this canvas is for a nice non-threatening stitch.

 Over the weekend I noticed a squirrel hanging onto the stucco wall of the house while he snacked on one of my roses.  I was shocked to see a delicate pink petal in his paws while he was eating.  I didn't realize squirrels ate foliage, though do admit that last fall I spotted one eating a palm frond.  There are no acorns in our neighborhood, so I guess they have to improvise!

 Here he has just decided to go for a morsel at the base of the blossom--too aggressive and the rose falls to the ground.

Here he is trying to decide whether to go down to finish his meal.
He decided against it.  But the blossom was gone the next morning so someone couldn't resist.

Oriole ministocking, finished

I finished the Oriole ministocking this week by doing the chain stitch for the leaf stems.  

I

 Melissa Shirley has a small creche which she paints either on congress cloth or 18mesh.  A Needle Nicely customer purchased the congress cloth set about 8 years ago.  Recently she decided that she couldn't see the mesh and gave it to me to stitch for the Festival of Trees that our local Children's Theater sponsors every November.  I have stitched the navy background of two of the figures, Mary and Joseph.  I'm stitching these at the shop because the light is so good there.  I plan to have Macy stitch the figures at the shop in between waiting on customers.  The faces will be done either by myself or Helen (our most artistic stitcher). 

I'll add white metallic French knots after everything else has been stitched.