Sleepy time, finished

I stitched the cheeks in what I call the Jacquard mosaic stitch.  The nose is a Byzantine #2 variation from Stitches to Go.  The teeth are slanted gobelin.  I then took this off the stretcher bars to do two rows of basketweave around the outside for the pajama bag finisher. 

If you look closely at the basketweave on the top right you can see one of the perils of stitching on New Year's Eve--I turned the stitching so about 1/4 of the outside is done going the wrong way.  Since it will be the seam allowance, I'm leaving it in for posterity.


This is my first finish for 2014.  On Saturday January 4, 2014, I'm going to post my finished projects of 2013 and hold a Walker bag giveaway to a randomly selected commenter in an attempt to encourage comments.

Pelicans everywhere--done, done, done

I stitched the wing of the peach pelican using the patio cashmere stitch.  It's a compact stitch that fits well into a small area.  And the final stitch for this canvas is the serendipity stitch on the pale blue wing.  How appropriate!

Pelicans everywhere, xi

The never-ending pelicans canvas where you can see that I did the criss-cross Hungarian combined with French knots on the green wing; a variation of the mosaic/jacquard on the pink wing to the far left; the mosaic stitch on the pink wing in the center; the diagonal triple Parisian on the periwinkle wing; and the double Hungarian on the lavender wing.  Now to finish the final two wings!

 And getting back to the last Christmas stocking Needle Nicely stitched for a customer--this is the doll's face and hair.  I'm not as artistic as Helen is with stitching faces, but this is definitely an improvement on the painted face!  The hair is the long-short split stitch using 3 colors of DMC floss (1 strand of the darkest, 2 strands of a medium and 3 strands of the lightest color). 

 This photograph shows the same long-short split stitch for the little girl's hair in the same blending combination.  And you can see to the left of the picture, the turkey work pom-pom on Santa's cap.  I usually don't trim this until the stocking is finished, but the grandmother was going to display this on Christmas day. 

A sprinkling of canvases

Postage has gotten so expensive that I've started ordering several canvases for the shop when I special order a canvas for a customer.  It helps spread the cost of shipping over more canvases and also has the added benefit of introducing some fresh merchandise at an "off" time of year (Needle Nicely's season is from mid-January through the end of April).

This is a new design from Elizabeth Turner.  When it arrived, I had my shop calligrapher (doesn't that sound fancy?) do a graph of Vero Beach to be stitched in place of the Miami.  In fact, while writing this I have decided to have Meredith of ET do some belts for Needle Nicely that way.

 This is a different candy belt, again from Elizabeth Turner.

 Crabs are always a popular item, especially in these preppy colors.

 This is one of Pippin's "Dozen" canvases, featuring twelve angels.
It has a great combination of patterns on the gowns.

Another of Pippin's "dozen" designs.  Such fun sweaters.














These beach umbrellas are one of Pippin's "fives" canvases.  They look like such  a delight to stitch.
 











This pair from Associated Talents are small companions to some larger canvases.  Thus you can stitch as much or as little as you want and still have an elegant pillow or two.

Shop stitching

I've been spending my "free" time at the shop doing blocking and hand stitching for projects that my customers want for Christmas presents.  I didn't take a photograph, but last week I blocked the flap of one of Sophia's purses.  The customer planned to hand sew the lining down herself.  Then I blocked, machine lined, and then hand sewed a canvas to two of the Dash and Albert tote bags so the customer could give them to her daughters next week for Christmas.

This is a canvas from Lee's Needle Art. 

 As an added touch, the mother did a canvas with each daughter's monogram so I could applique it to the opposite side of the tote from the pocket canvas.  Of course, it would have been straighter if she had stitched it on a frame, but I think it's a nice addition.

 I don't remember the designer of this frog on a lily pad canvas. 

I'm almost finished the trim on Santa's suit.  I also need to stitch the little girl's hair and the face and hair of her doll (not shown in this photograph).  This is an Alexa design.  The customer will pin the stitched canvas to fabric so it will look like a finished stocking.  Those are lots and lots of French knots!  The pom-pom is going to be turkey work.  I have to have this ready Monday, so off I go to continue stitching.

Treetop angel, finished

Just had to share the gorgeous finishing job that one of Needle Nicely's finishers did on the Dede treetop angel. 

The moire gusset is about 1 1/4 inches wide.   I love the way it was shaped.  Then a twist cording made from DMC perle 5 was handstitched on.

And the back view of the angel. 

Murphy's Law as applied to needlepoint shops

I think everyone knows Murphy's Law which roughly is "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and in the worst possible way at the worst possible time".  In relation to needlepoint shops, its corollarys are:

1.  The minute you have placed a fiber order, someone will walk in wanting 6 ounces of Paternayan or 7
     skeins of DMC perle cotton of colors that you didn't order and that the supplier has told you it is too 
     late to add to your order and of course it doesn't meet their minimum order so you will have to pay a        surcharge to order it.  (Great run-on sentence!)
NOTE:  Trying to get Blogger to indent is a real pain.  I just want everyone to know my pain.

2.  The minute you have closed a box of stitched items to be shipped to a finisher, someone will come in     with a canvas that needs to go to that finisher. 

2A Corollary:  After taping closed a package to a finisher, you will look on the counter and see the     finishing instructions for the enclosed items resting there.  GRRR!     

3.  The day after you have made a rush shipment to a finisher, a customer will come in with another rush item for that finisher.

4.  Of course you haven't paid an invoice from a canvas designer when in walks a customer who just HAS to have a canvas.  You're now behind the 8-ball to pay the invoice and then order the canvas.  Try tap-dancing a little faster while smiling the entire time.  NOT.