Fractal 276 Bookmark

Now that I have finished several WIPs, I get to start new stuff!  Always so much fun!

First up is Fractal 276 Bookmark.  Sorry, that's what it is called.  I think this was one of the daily freebies from Cross Stitch Collectibles that I downloaded last summer.  I thought I would do it on 18-count canvas, in needlepoint.  It will be a little big for a bookmark, but a reasonable size for an experiment!  Finished size on 18 will be about 4.25" x 11".  These pictures show the original pattern.

Well it was designed with 79 colors of floss.  I decided it would be "fun" to try to cut this down.  The chart was only in symbols, no color.  So, being crazy, I copied it, one square at a time, into my charting program.  This took a couple of weeks.  Then I pulled all 79 colors of floss.  The charting program tells me how many stitches there are of each color.  So my first task was to delete any color with less than 20 stitches.  Right away that cuts it down quite a bit.  I would pull the to-be-deleted-color, find another color in the pattern that was almost the same and substitute.  Next I matched up colors that, when stitched, would show little, if any, difference, like black & dark navy.  I kept on like this till I was down to about 50 colors.  Then by using an overdye to substitute for several colors in the background, I ended up with a total of 46 colors.  The picture below is my revised chart.

Now I get to stitch this baby!  I am going to substitue #12 Kreinik Braid for quite a few of the colors in the light swirly part, I think.  We'll see how it goes.  I'm not sure how I will tackle this, I guess I'll just start in the upper right corner & go.  I'll keep you posted!

Scarlet Thread Kits

I'm sorry, but I just have to blow my own horn a little bit.  I am so proud that Scarlet Thread is offering several of my patterns as full kits.  Please see the write up on the Stitchything blog.  So if you want one of these patterns, all kitted up, we got it covered.  In the past, I have purchased kits from Scarlet Thread and they do a terrific job and the prices are great!

Seasons FINISHED!

Oh Boy!  Another finish!  Hurray!  Happy Dance! 

I decided to use both options for the corners and I think I'm happy with it.  Thanks to all of you who commented on this issue.  Your comments were truly helpful and I considered them all carefully. 

I have decided to have it finished as a pillow.  It will go nicely with the other pillows I have in my living room here in Vegas.

Whopee!  New projects coming up....

Tuscan Midnight FINISHED!

Tuscan Midnight is finished!  (I think.)  I put the last stitch in last night.  My plan now is to take it to the framer and see if we can come up with the right mats.  If not, I will bring it back home & fill in the corners. 

I would like the mats, I think, to be a bright yellow for #1 & a Med. to Dark Pink for the top one.  Then probably just a simple dark gold frame.  We'll see how it goes!  I'm hoping to get over there next week.  I will take Mediterranean Tile as well.

Next up for a quick finish will be Seasons.  I just have to do the last 2 corners.  Thanks for all of your input on this!  I have decided to use both options, 2 corners of the dark & 2 of the lighter.  If it is awful, I'll just have to rip it out!  I'm anxious to get this finished because....   Then I get to start some new stuff!!

Twister Progress #9

I worked on Twister yesterday.  I missed one Sunday, but now this quadrant is a little more than half done.  I will miss next Sunday too, but at least I am making slow progress. 
One of the things I have tried to do is make the direction of the stitch patterns in each section make it look like it is turning to the center.  I don't think I'm getting that.  It is harder to do than I thought it would be!

Seasons Progress #6

I have worked 2 different corners for Seasons.  And I still can't decide!  I like them both, but their effects are different.  The darker one becomes more of a "background" for the center 5 squares.  the lighter one blends more.  I could also do both of them, opposite corners.
What do you think?

Mediterranean Tile FINISHED!!

Mediterranean Tile is finished!!  At last!  I put in the last bead on Saturday.  I used Magnifica Glass Beads, copper in the center section and dark teal in the outer section.

You may recall that to begin with Jan of Thread Medley and I were stitching this at the same time.  But she finished hers quite a while ago and I got set back with publishing patterns on my website, among other things.  Anyway, Jan will repost the picture of her finished Mediterranean Tile so you can compare.  Thanks Jan!  It is so interesting to see the same design done 2 different ways.

Tuscan Midnight Progress #6

It's getting there!  3 of the 4 corners are complete.  One more to go and I will have to decide whether or not to fill in the corners!  If I fill in the corners, it will be with the dark blue-greenish color and pattern that's between the 2 rows of red.

SOTM 2011, April

OK, here is April's SOTM, the Diamond Jessicas.  I just love doing these pretty stitches!  They look wonderful in just about any thread.  These are in silk and floss.  The green is Splendor S837 and the ecru is Threadworx 10311.

May Mountain Middle

May Mountain Middle is a cute little cross stitch design from Pine Mountain Designs.  It is a pre-finished pillow, so once the stitching is done, you just slip in a pillow form & you're done!  This one is for my Mom's birthday, which is in May. 
The fabric around the Aida cloth is a soft flannel print & it makes a cozy little piece.

I finished this piece Sunday at our local retreat here in Las Vegas.  We have 2 retreats every year, spring & fall, and it is just one day.  It is inexpensive & we get lunch & lots of goodies.  It is a fun time, stitching and socializing.