Nice day

Hi guys.   I have no pictures today.  I left my camera at the shop.  I took a few pictures of the Cook-Up class to share with you later.  What a fantastic group of women are in this weekends class.  All skill levels, all conferring with each other and having a great time.  It was amazing watching Amy in action.  She shares so much information.  She does not sit down all day. (Except to help each person at their canvas.)  I will post the pictures this week.

I have just finished the stone chimney trim and cap.  (Page 4 of guide, diagram 7.)  I stitched two layers of the satin to give it some dimension.  I hope to do the satin stitch of the  Cupola stone roof next , (page 5, diagram 9a).  After studying the canvas with the raised stem stitch in mind, I think this roof would be a good place to get comfortable with the raised stem stitch.  But I will do the bricks next.  I am planning for a few bats to overlap the chimney bricks as Amy did.  (See the picture.)  So I will stitch those bats before I stitch the chimney bricks.  Make sure not to cut up the master sheet of bats!  Make a few copies of it and save the master.

Have a great week.

Just another pretty face.

Here's the moon.  You definitely have to turn the canvas, (and chart), upside down to do this.  It's gives the moon quite a personality.  I'm going to do the bricks next.   Any advice out there?

Door done

Did the door yesterday. Never got out of my PJ's. How decadent.

Worked at the shop today. Some of the ladies who are attending Amy's Cook-Up this weekend arrived early. It is always so much fun to see how excited they are. They are going to have three days to stitch, eat and have fun. There's a great variety in the canvases that will be stitched this weekend. I get to see the progress when I work the shop on Saturday. There are still some openings in the fall Cook-Up classes. Call the shop to sign up.

I hope to work on the Moon tonight. Glitter anyone?

Raised Stem reminder

Hi Everybody ... Robin here.

I wanted to mention (yes, another shameless, yet useful plug) that you can refer to Amy's DVD #8, Spiders and More! for a video tutorial about doing the Raised Stem technique. Amy even has a segment on how to do the "Left-handed Raised Stem Technique."

So... with Amy's charted stitch diagrams, her photos, her DVD and Peggy with the Needlepoint Study Hall, the Raised Stem should be very manageable to do. OK, everybody... Relax. Breathe.

It's a very useful technique.

This photo is of a Raised Stem Pumpkin that I did on the Tall Sickly Green House from Melissa Shirley Designs. Isn't he cute!

This photo is of a Raised Stem Wheel on the Halloween Cat Pull Toy from Melissa Shirley Designs. Very effective, indeed.

Well, hope this calming moment helps. Let us know how it goes for you. Thanks, Robin

Ghost Window

 

Hi!  I finished the windows.  The last one I stitched was the second story window with a ghost.  Be careful not to stitch over the post, (laying tool is pointing to it).  And be sure to stitch over the gray tail of the ghost.  I found that if I changed thread in the middle of a row on all of the windows, it really showed.  So just plan to finish a row rather than changing thread in the middle.

lower floor windowpanes...and no guilt!

I finished the other downstairs windowpane and the one in the door tonight.   A little bit every day will get us closer to the finish.  I have been worrying about the fact that I am not finishing each figure in the month I received it.  I have a new plan.  I will do as much as I can in the month I receive a character.  I will put it aside at the end of the month when the next character arrives.  I will continue this throughout the year.  Then in 2011 I will return to each canvas in its given month and hopefully finish it!  What do you think?  I just can't keep beating myself up about it.  This way I will enjoy each canvas and not feel guilty.

Windowpanes

I thought I would never finish these two windowpanes.   So much for finishing all of the windowpanes today.  As usual, Amy's choice of threads and stitch are very effective.  It really looks like glass.