And done!

I finished the glue and cutting on the Moon.  

Here they are, side by side, ready to take to the framer.  The moon is going to be set on top of the sun so that the lips just touch.

This makes 13 larger finishes for this year, plus six ornaments that were given as gifts.

Counting Sheep

Next up:  Counting Sheep by the Meridith Collection, S163.  This is a 5 x 7 design on 18 count that will be finished into a door hanger, at least that is what I think right now.

The moon is done!

Final details were to couch silver around the moon and add the silve pailettes! And, I added a couple more stars! This side is also finished.  Now to get it ready for the finisher!

We have stars!

The beaded stars are all in place!  I may add a couple more!  I did what the chart shows, but think there should be more on the inside row.

And two more

Two more bands are finished.  The Waterlilies row of diagonal stitches and another set of Japan silver tacked with more Waterlilies.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  Hope you all have a wonderful day with family, friends, and good times!

It is Christmas Eve!

Is everyone ready?!  It is time!!

Another band plus

Next to the woven band I have added two rows of doubled Japan silver.  Then over the top of that are  side by side sets of two stitches with Waterlilies.  Next to that I have started another band in the same Waterlilies.

Another band

I added the finishing touches to the band of boxes and then added another row of slanted Splendor stitches with a line of Japan silver down the middle.

Bottom section

I mirrored the top section down the bottom.  Next is the detail work in the lines of boxes.

Back to the moon!

Time to work on the moon side of Day into Night.  I have added rows at the top.  The purple is Splendor stitched in diagonals.  Then a line of silver is backstitched down the center.  The next row is square boxes stitched down the canvas.  Then another strand of silver is stitched down the center.  I can now finish the pattern to the left that will mirror the top.  I will get this filled in before I move to finish out to the right.  The row of silver boxes also needs another thread in place.

And done....

All the embellishing is done.  Couched Kreinik, beaded sequins, beads on the stars, snowflakes and tree trunk.  I am going to run another beading thread through the letters to tighten the straight  line.

The bottom band

The bottom band of the tree is done!  Just a bit more stitching to go!

The middle

The middle section is done.  The gold stars are tent stitched with Silk Lame Braid.  The purple stars are Cashmere stitch with Neon Rays.  The background is Nobuko with Impressions.  I also did two the rows of tent stitch that divides the bottom section from the  middle.  The background stitch was supposed to be Kennan but that leaves holes so the blue background would have shown through.  Nobuko covers well and continues with the diagonal theme from the top section.

Lots going on.

Sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday!  It is the time of year to shovel snow, wrap packages and all the usual Christmas preparations!  I finished the left side by doing tent stitches in Silk Lame for the snowflakes.  Then the background is more Silk Lame Braid in Diagonal Cashmere stitches.  The top third of the tree is worked in Kreinik for the white stripes.  The gold and purple stripes are Cashmere in more Silk Lame Braid and the dark tent stitches are Impressions.

Background progress

I worked on background only and am just about done with the top section.

Seasons of Winter

This is  Danji design Ch-219 called Seasons of Winter, tree #1.  It is designed in blues but I am changing the colors to purples!  The two outer bands are done and I have started the basketweave in the top right corner.  Notice the big difference in color I made!  

I did Seasons of Love a while ago and this will be a gift too!

The sun is finished!

The sun is done!  I outlined the rays, finished the beaded lines and added all the sequins with beads.

Adding Bling

I have outlined the sun points with Kreinik and added rows of alternating seed and bugle beads.  Getting ready to outline the face circle.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you and your families and friends have a joyous day!

And that is done!

The white background is finished!  On to the embellishing!

Half way

The background is more than half done!  I am almost done with the second spool of thread and will be starting on the third one today.

Back at it!

I am working on the background again.  The entire left to right darning pattern is finished.  I have also don more on the right to left working from the top left corner down.  This really shines a lot more in person.

Finished!

I finished the croakie for the glasses.  Ready to send to the finisher!

Some more progress

I am finally at 20" across the bottom....hope to get this done soon!

Growing, growing!

I got some time to stitch and added more to the croakie.  It is now 18 inches across the bottom!

See the magnet at the top right?  That is how much more there is to do on this!

Moving along

It now measures 16" across the bottom.  I need to move the canvas down the frame so I can stitch some more.

There!

Okay, so the Mustang is in place and the band measures 14" across the bottom.  Now, 8 more inches to go to finish the stitching!

Gingerbreads!

Ginger Lights!

Ginger Snowman!

These are two of the new series "Gingerbreads" by Leigh Designs that were released yesterday!  Canvases and guides for all 8 designs are available now. These are the two that I stitched! See all of them at:  http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp836x.html

They are all so cute!

The thread

My thread arrived and I returned to stitching background!

Happy Halloween!

I still love getting this one out for the Halloween season!

The Background

I have started the background for the moon!

And the moon

The moon is stitched.  It gets more embellishing later on, but now to start this background!

More letters

What an unusual word--nope, almost all of Mustang!  And, we are at 12 inches across the bottom.

Starting with the M

I have started the word across the Croakie and am at 9 inches across the bottom.

About one third

How boring--I mean the photo!  Doesn't look like much but it is 7.5" across now.

Progress

So, it is six inches across the bottom, so far.  

Almost there

Making lots of progress on the moon!  I must admit, I am slower working on the black than the white!

The center

The center is filled in with a strand of silk and two strands of Accentuate.  The sparkle just does show up in the photos.  It is the same thread combo as the slanted stitches at the bottom.

Starting the moon

The moon is worked on black 24 count Congress.  I put the lips in first with tent stitched DMC floss.  The  eyelid and eyebrow are black silk outline stitches.  Then silk vertical stitches shape the open V.  Next 4 strands Japan silver is couched with Silk.  The three bottom bars are silk blended with a doubled strand of Accentuate.  It really shines in person!

Lots more background

This is as far as I got when I ran out of the background thread.  I have ordered another spool and it will be here in a few days.  So, I am going to put the moon piece on the stretcher bars and work on it until I get the other thread.  There are embellishments that will get added to the piece as well but they cannot be placed until the background is finished.

Progress

I have more in the top left corner and am starting down to the right.

Background two ways

Look closely.  I did a lot more of the top left to bottom right rows.  I have also done some of the bottom left to top right rows in the upper left hand corner.

The last ray

The last ray is finished.  I have started working the first part of the background stitch with Soie Perlee.  The entire background has a pattern.  

And the second one

I finished the second diagonal and started the final vertical.

The first diagonal

The first diagonal ray is stitched!

Number two

The second ray is done!  These are slow go but look great!

One full ray

I added the #4 Kreinik 002J first and it is hard to see.  Then I did all of the rest of pattern stitches to the end of the first ray.  It will have beads and be outlined later on.