Outlines done

Now those of you who haven't gotten your coffin yet should not worry that we will get ahead of you. You will learn from my mistakes. So here is the roof with the outlines/mortar done.

This is a good way to get started on this piece because as you stitch the outlines, you can be planning your color combinations for the shingles. With five different overdyed cotton skeins going at once, one must have a plan. READ ALL THE TIPS BEFORE STARTING. They are great. Yes, she knows what questions you will ask before you do!

See my plan for keeping my threads straight as I filled in the shingles. ( I didn't use Amy's suggestion). I thought this was a novel idea.

This is how they ended up by the time I was finished with the shingles. So much for novel ideas.

Another idea is to use a labeled Needle Park Avenue.

I will share my shingles with you next week.

Amy Reports

The enforced entrapment of the snow and ice in Memphis has given me the perfect excuse to stitch on the Haunted House. I have finished the stone arches over the windows and am starting on the slats of the balustrade. The challenge of stitching old, dirty, broken, stonework has been interesting. Normally when we look at threads to pull for areas on a canvas we aren't looking for that description. The combination of the woven stitches that I have finally settled on and the rough texture of the Wool Crepe has been perfect. Of course, that doesn't mean that I didn't have to stitch it, take it out, stitch it again, take it out again, and then re-stitch it one more time. Just on the slats alone I struggled with width, length, shape, snagging issues, and which part is worked first and which is worked last. The process is much like the same one that everyone else follows, with the added complexity of knowing that you have to describe and diagram every step of the work when you are finished. I love every minute of the journey through each of my needlepoint projects. They all become very personal and I always hate to see them end....although, it is nice to have those finished pieces to enjoy and share.

My needle needs to fly because "the" Bride is waiting and "the" Groom is arriving today or Monday!!!  Amy

Preparing to start

I have received my Haunted  House canvas and have taken great care in mounting it on Evertite stretcher bars.  If you are new to Evertites, please read the instructions included with the bars.  A key to know you are getting it right is that the Evertite logo on each bar should be facing inside. The pictures in the directions are very helpful.  It is important to mount the canvas straight horizontally and vertically.  So I found the center of each side and matched it with the center line marked on the bars.

Make sure the screws are all the way flush with the wood before you start tacking or stapling. Once the canvas is tacked onto the bars, I usually give each screw two or three turns.  Keep the tension even by giving each side the same number of turns.  I think you will really enjoy the Evertites.  When your canvas gets loose, just turn the screws to stretch it out again.  Make sure to tighten evenly so you don't get the canvas out of square.

So I am ready to begin.  I hope to keep a few steps ahead of those stitching Halloweenies in order to encourage them to stay current.  So I will start with the shingles tonight.   It is so exciting to finally be starting this Home Study project.  I hope you can join us.

A Stitching Update for the Kitty Bra & Tap Pants

Hi Everybody... Robin here. I've got some photos for you... Here's the first photo showing my current status of the Kitty Bra & Tap Pants.

I finished out the Gold Edge of the Tap Pants with a Vertical Satin stitch using 4 ply of the Gloriana Silk Floss #045 Lacquered Gold. (It was left over from stitching Katt Z. Witch.) Then I did the Madam Stitch using 1 strand of Petite Sparkle Rays PS70. I used more of the Soie Perlee Noir for the Basketweave inside each cup.

I did Inline Couching for the Gold Strap and Trim around the top edge of the Kitty Bra. I used Kreinik 1/16" Ribbon 002V for the Strap and Trim; couched with Kreinik size 4 002V. Another name for 002V is "Vintage Gold." It took me a while to realize the Kreinik Metallics had numbers & names.

I used a Chenille Needle to pierce the canvas thread as needed during the Couching procedure. Here's my definition for Inline Couching: the Couched Ribbon is pierced "in a line" by small tacking stitches. You can see with the second photo the piercing of the couched Ribbon.

So, do you see my Pinhead stitches and Securing L-Knots In the midst of the Kitty Face? What's up with that?... to be continued

How do you do Madam?

Hi Everybody... Robin here. Well, the Tap Pants are done. Let's move on to the Bra.

Today I will show you my plans for the "non-kitty face section of the Bra." Geez, what do you call that area? Is there a Foundation Garment expert in the house? Let's just call it the "sparkly cream area" until a better name is given. OK, so I was looking for a stitch... and found the Madam Stitch. (I'm not talking Heidi Fleiss here, people... this is a respectable needlepoint Blog.) I'm talking about the collection of Gobelin stitches with their own unique pathway... the Madam Stitch. Let's refer to the Chart.



At first glance what do you see? A column of Straight Gobelin and then a column of Slanted Gobelin? That might be true, but that's not how you do the Madam Stitch.

The Madam Stitch is worked in horizontal rows. I did the chart in two-tone colors for easy following. Work a Horizontal row color in the sequence indicated by the pathway numbers. See the 2 small black Pinhead Stitches at the end of the first row? You will need to work one of them, either under your last stitch or outside the stitched area, to properly orientate your thread for the next stitch on Row 2. That's now how you do the Madam Stitch. It looks really cool.

Since we are talking about beads...

Since we are talking about beads... I wanted to share something that was brought back from the TNNA market. It is a kit with lots of different sizes of beads. I really like it except the bead tubes are not labeled. The reason I want to stitch it is to learn more about bead sizes. The kit includes a piece of mono canvas and 13 tubes of beads, a beading needle and a spool of beading thread. Also included is a small amount of off-white thread. I think I would pick an overdyed thread to go with the beads provided.

The kit is from Sundance Designs and designed by Cassandra Prescott and Nandra Hotchkiss. I have sent an email to Sundance to see about labeling the bead tubes. It looks like a good little project for people like Sue and myself, who haven't had much experience with beading. I will update you when I hear back from Sundance.

I believe it retails for $21.00.
You can read more about this product on Amy's website: Bead Explosion by Sundance.

A geographical Bead Lesson

Hi Everybody. Robin here... I wanted to mention my technique for beading the Kitty Faces on the Tap Pants. I decided I wanted the beads to sit vertically... not their usual diagonal angle. I felt this would enhance the vertical flow of the Victorian Step stitch. I am learning different beading techniques, so if there is already a name for this technique, please pass it along.

I used Invisible Beading Thread for each of the size 14˚ Sundance beads. Some people have issues with Invisible Beading Thread... I don't... I love it.  But, certainly you could use Black Beading Thread. Each bead was anchored by a double stranded X, going through the bead (first from California to Maine; then from Florida to Seattle) instead of the Lasso Technique.

Anywhoo... that's what I did. And here's a close-up photo so show you what it looks like. All beads lined up vertically and securely fastened.