"Potluck" by Charley Harper and Penny B.

Hi Everybody... Robin here...

Penny Boswinkle was in my recent class at The Nimble Needle-Atlanta. It was good seeing her again.

We do have fun in class. Bouncing stitching ideas off each other. I can honestly say I learn from her, too.

Penny is also fearless; shutters from no stitch, thread, or canvas mesh... she even stitches on black.

In April 2014, Penny selected a Charley Harper canvas called "Potluck" for her canvas enhancement class. The canvas features an animal interested in some pottery... and lots of black for the night sky.

"Potluck" by Charley Harper
(CH-P102)

Here's what Charley Harper said about this canvas...

"Every meal is potluck for an animal in the wild. So when the Coatimundi eats out (as he always does), he'll try anything on the menu. If it creeps, crawls, hops, slithers, squirms, swims, flies, walks, runs or takes root, he'll sample it. Poke around the pueblo with your pliant proboscis, roll some rocks over with your powerful paws, and you'll uncover some esoteric edibles, and some mighty fast food. You know the kind -- grab a bite before it grabs you." –– Charley Harper

I wrote the stitch guide, and Penny took off like a trouper.

So in July 2014 (yes, last week), Penny brought in her finished (!) "Potluck" from the April 2014 class. That's 3 months, folks!

I am beyond thrilled with the results.

When I was writing the stitch guide, I had a "hmmm.... I wonder..." moment. I did some research to see what kind of animal the Coatimundi was. Thanks to the internet, I was able to find some information about the Coatimundi and noticed his foot prints.

Coatimundi

I thought to myself: they MUST be incorporated into the background. I found the perfect Brenda Hart background for visual interest. Doing the happy dance, I then charted the foot prints and included them in the instructions. Hopefully the stitcher would see my vision.

So, in the April class, it was Penny's turn for the stitch guide consultation. (I almost couldn't contain the secret.) Penny read through the guide. She stopped and looked at me. I looked at Penny. We both burst with glee! Beaded FOOTPRINTS! Oh, how fun.

To date, "Potluck" is one of my most favorite Charley Harper pieces. The man was brilliant.

So without any further fanfare... I present "Potluck" by Charley Harper (HC-P102); expertly stitched by Penny Boswinkle. Stitch guide available from Robin King.

"Potluck" by Charley Harper (HC-P102)
Model stitched by Penny Boswinkle
Stitch Guide by Robin King

Thanks for letting me share this story. Special moments, indeed.

Well that's it for now. I'm getting ready for another teaching destination: Peacock Alley Needlepoint in Ada, Michigan. See you there.

Until the next time... HUGS, Robin