Dragon Purse Finished! by LEE Needlepoint

Dragon

hand-painted canvas by LEE

stitched by Summer Truswell 2014-2015

Stitched in Impressions (a silk / wool blend), Trebizond (silk) and Kreinik metallic (synthetic) thread in basketweave.  The facial hairs? are wrapped backstitch.

I love this purse!  It's a good size - about 14" deep. It is made out of red leather.  Also from LEE.

Some comments from facebook:

Dana D. -  Love this!!!

Anne Marie C. - Gorgeous! Love it with the red purse!

Louise S. - He is gorgeous!!

Dianne M. - Oh wow

Cecilia R. - Dragons are a favorite theme of mine and it looks great on the purse.

Cindy H. - Fantastic!

Sally C. - Fab! and how!

Carolyn S. - I have the same purse and love it. Just don't fill it too full. Unfortunately I did and the lining split.

Sherry E. - Awesome!!

Cynthia B. - Great work

Mary Ellen P. - Fantabulous!!!

Amanda Lawford Needlepoint Pillow Finished...

Floral hand-painted canvas from Amanda Lawford.  Stitched and finished by Summer Truswell. November 2013-March 2014. 

I Love this graphic woven fabric.  

Silk, rayon, wool, & cotton fibers on cotton canvas.  Glass beads. 

"Don't Touch the Coral; it's Sharp" quilt completed...

"Don't Touch the Coral; it's Sharp!"

I made this quilt in January 2014.  It is 100 cm x 40 cm.  The background fabric is folded and stitched; a technique I really like to give dimension and movement.  The coral is all hand-beaded (and took about 30 hours) and the applique on the fish and sea urchins is hand-worked.  

Batik cotton fabric, cotton batting, glass beads.  Original design by Summer Truswell.

Golf Christmas Ornament...

Just what every golfer wants, right?  A golf ornament for the tree!  This is a gift for my father-in-law.  He seems to like the things I stitch... This measures a little shy of 3" across.  I've had the canvas for a few years now.  I used silk & ivory and Impressions and did the whole thing in basketweave stitch.  The flag is a red silk.  It is finished with a flat back.  

Mary Engelbreit ornament finished...

This is an older needlepoint canvas - I started it some time ago but had a hard time with the lettering and outlining.  I think the canvas was quickly painted and it was very "interpretive" on my end to get it to be legible.  That said, I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I love the peppermint cording too!  For the back I used a red sculpted velvet with a hard back.  It is about 4" across.  Design by Mary Engelbreit.

Two Melissa Shirley Ornaments Completed...

"You bring the tree, I'll bring the wreath!"

I just love these ornaments.  They are hand-painted canvases from Melissa Shirley.  I used odds and ends from my thread stash for the different colors.  The tree Santa is stitched in red Very Velvet and the wreath Santa is stitched in Trio.  Love them!  They are about 3" across and I finished them with hard backs and blue velvet.  

Flower Needlepoint Pillow Stitched and Finished.

This is another pillow for me.  I purchased this canvas at a guild meeting years and years ago.  I have been slowly working my way through all my unfinished projects and am down to only a few. The tag says "From the Collection of the Women's Educational & Industrial Union.  Boston, Massachusetts, Est. 1877".  I believe they used to sell needlepoint yarn and canvases but am not sure if the design is from a reproduction in their collection (which is what I was told when I bought it) or if they used to sell other designer's canvases.  Either way, it's a lovely piece.  If you happen to know who the designer is please let me know!


I knew I wanted this for a pillow so I used basketweave throughout.  I stitched all the background in cream wool (Appleton, with one ply of the four pulled out so it wasn't too tight) and then all the flowers and ribbons are stitched in silk fibers from my stash.

I used a bronze ribbon, striped ribbon, and two trims around the edge.  I love these colors!  It's a pretty good size - maybe 22" across?  The backing is a heavy woven dot that I used on another pillow (the standing lion pillow).

Finished a needlepoint pillow - Amanda Lawford floral.

This was stitched in 2013.  It is a hand-painted canvas from Amanda Lawford.  I stitched it in silk threads, mostly Vineyard Silks with basketweave.  The purple flowers I worked in Au Ver a Soie with silk shading.  The gold is a Kreinik Vintage Braid.  

I picked up the backing fabric at Tina's in Madison Park.  It's a fun shop to visit with lots of really beautiful fabrics and trims.  I added three ribbons around the piece and more roses at each corner.  It has pinch-pleat corners as well. This photo is a little light to show detail - they are a solid black in life.  It's a stunner.  

More true to life on colors.

Now I'm working on a double wedding ring quilt.  It's never going to be done.  

Two needlepoint pillows finished...

I actually *finished* some needlepoint projects!

This handpainted canvas was stitched in 2013.  I used metallic-blend (or Kreinik) threads for all the ornaments and silk/wool blend (I think it was Impressions) for the ornament ribbons and background.  I really love how it turned out.  I don't know the canvas artist - let me know if you know who painted it!  It might be Needlepoint of Back Bay?

This canvas was painted by Michael Wilhoite of Needlepoint of Back Bay.  I stitched it all in silk fibers and basketweave.  

As it is a gift for Travis, I tried to make the finishing masculine but also youthful.  (He's 7.)

Pinch pleat edge on the corners with twisted cording edge. 

"Christmas Candy" ornament by Jemini Designs

This ornament is from Just Cross-Stitch Ornament issue 2001.  It's designed by Jeanette Rees of Jemini Designs.  The original pattern called for floss blended with Kreinik Blending filament stitched on 14 count Aida.  I don't stitch on Aida (hate it) so I traced a circle onto 18 count mono canvas then used fabric markers to draw on the arcs and filled in the red and green.  I then used Kreinik 1/16" ribbon to stitch the colors and two strands of #4 braid for the white.  I am trying to use up stash and the two strands of #4 tangled terribly. Never again!  It does look good though.  

I finished the ornament with a flat back with silk dupioni and padded front.  Love it!

Amanda Lawford Nutcracker Santa Finished!

"Nutcracker Santa"

Hand-painted Canvas by Amanda Lawford

Stitched by Summer Truswell

I finished him as a stand-up.  He is about 16" tall.

Stitch guides are at http://summerlouise.blogspot.com/2012/11/amanda-lawford-nutcracker-santa-1.html

and http://summerlouise.blogspot.com/2013/01/amanda-lawford-nutcracker-santa-2.html.

I also stitched Amanda's Royal Santa, which you can see at http://summerlouise.blogspot.com/2012/11/amanda-lawford-royal-santa-finished.html.

Amanda Lawford Nutcracker Santa #2

Sometimes you see a canvas that you just love.  You see it and the artwork just resonates with you; you know you have to stitch it.  That's how much I love this design!  Amanda did such a beautiful job with the design and I'm so grateful to Jane for sending this beauty my way.

Now, I'm not going to show the overall picture until I get him finished (on the docket for tomorrow) plus it is too dark inside my house to get a good picture.  However, I have time now to write up the threads I used so you get sneak peaks and the overall picture will come tomorrow or Sunday.  Patience!

Now, as I started to type this I got really tired of writing "The Nutcracker".  A quick search tells me he doesn't have an official name, so I'm going to call him George.

You will remember from my last post that I stitched the Mouse King's cloak in Appleton Wool with basketweave.  I used Brown Paper Packages Trio T55 Kiwi and Rainbow Gallery Flair in 538 and 531 Green to stitch the vest using diagonal stitches to look like it was woven.  Little black seed beads are the buttons.  His boots are Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays ND1 Black in horizontal satin stitch.  

The hem on the cloak is stitched in Rainbow Gallery Wisper in cream blended with one strand cream Medicis wool to stitch long and short stitch.  I then switched out the cream Wisper for Grey Wisper W60 and used that for the midtones.  Lastly I used black Wisper to stitch small stitches over the top of the creams.

The crown was worked in stem stitch with two shades of gold Kreinik thread to match the paint.  Seed beads were attached at the end.  The present in the background was worked in the same pinks as Clara's dress.  The candy canes were first padded with #8 Pearl cotton in long stitches.  Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays White N02 was stitched in satin stitches across the padding pearl cotton.  Lastly I used Neon Rays 020 Red to stitch the candy stripes over the white.  

The mice are stitched in Alpaca 18 AL54, Pepper Pot Silk Macaroon 68, Soie d Alger Au ver a Soie F14, 3345, and Kreinik Silk Mori 7128 with silk shading techniques.  Black Trebizond Silk was used for their eyes.   

The clock face was stitched in Rainbow Gallery Splendor in three shades of yellow: S933, S908, and S879. I used tent stitch with four strands.  I used Black Trebizond to tent stitch the numberals and then wrap the stitches to make them more upright.  I used gold Kreinik to work buttonhole stitch around two metal rings which I then appliqued on the canvas.  Other rings were worked in wrapped backstitch.  

The present bow was worked in laisy daisy stitches with Kreinik 1/26" Ribbon 014HL, after the background was completed.

The holly leaves on Santa's hat are the same greens used in Clara's sash: Rainbow Gallery Silk Lame Braid in two shades of green: SL63 and SL36.  I used diagonal gobelin stitches to fill the leaf areas.  

Santa's eyes are worked in tent stitch with Rainbow Gallery Silk Lame Braid SL57 Green with white Au Ver a Soie for the white.  Felicity's Garden in 008 Cast Iron Black was used for his eyelashes.  

George's sword is stitched in Rainbow Gallery Fyre Werks F3, a subtle gold and silver blend, using horizontal satin stitches. 

Clara's dress is stitched with Rainbow Gallery Petite Very Velvet V650 Pink for the darker stripes of the dress in tent stitch.  I used Neon Rays N14 (darker) and N11 (lighter) for the long vertical stripes of the dress and the tent stitch on the sleeve.  The lace on the sleeve was created with two strands of Au ver a Soie worked as a row of laisy daisy stitches over which long stitches of Rainbow Gallery Water N' Ice 1335 were stitched to add shimmer.  

Clara's sash is stitched in Rainbow Gallery Silk Lame Braid in two shades of green: SL63 and SL36.  I used basketweave then used the darker shade (SL63) and stitches laisy daisy stitches over top of the tent.  

Clara's hair was worked in basketweave with the Rainbow Gallery Petite Very Velvet 607 brown.  I then used one strand of Edmar Boucle thread to work long stitches as though it was hair.  

The hems, collars, and cuff of Santa's robe and hat were stitched using Rainbow Gallery Fluffy Fleece FE14 Cream.  I couched the fiber onto the surface of the canvas using one strand Caron Impressions in cream.  I would highly recommend you complete all but the last little details (hanging beads, etc) before working the couching as you don't want to have to manipulate it back when stitching other details.  

The Sugar Plum Fairy was stitched primarily in basketweave and tent stitch.  Her bodice is worked in Rainbow Gallery Sparkle Rays SR42.  I used Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays+ NP92 Silver for the under layer on the tutu.  I worked straight gobelin stitches following the edge of the design.  I then used Access Commodities Silver Smooth Passing Thread for the edge of the tutu.  Keeping the silver thread on the surface of the canvas, I couched it with the Neon Rays+ (pure laziness; any silver thread would work) in a serpentine pattern along the edge of the tutu.  This is actually my favorite thing on the entire canvas.  

The blue jar is stitched in horizontal rows of gobelin stitch over two threads.  I used Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays+ NP63 in the lightest blue for the center and blended towards the darker threads on the edge.  The midtone thread is Caron Collection Snow 03 Sky Blue and the dark tone is Rainbow Gallery Treasure Braid TR280 Dark Blue.  

The red jar is worked in Rainbow Gallery Silk Lame Braid SL09 and Fyre Werks FT30 using vertical satin stitches.  I then worked diagonal straight stitches in gold Fyre Werks following the painted canvas design.  The yellow point of the jar was worked in vertical cross-stitches of Rainbow Gallery Flair 573 yellow.  

The yellow jar is stitched in the clock's Rainbow Gallery Splendor in three shades of yellow: S933, S908, and S879.  I worked upright satin stitches in a pattern of over three, over three, over one, over, one.  The darker yellow was used for the upright cross-stitches on the jar lid.  

The Silk Ribbon pansies were worked with YLI Silk Ribbon in two colors of purple and one of green.

I purchased a flat gold ribbon at Pacific Fabrics which I couched on the front edges of the robe.  Slanting rows of petite gold Japanese seed beads are stitched on top.  I purchased a tiny silver cord which I couched from the snowflakes to the top of the glove.


 

The treats in the bag are stitched mostly in tent stitch.  For the cupcake cup I used Rainbow Gallery Petite Very Velvet in 604 light brown and 607 Medium Brown.  Splendor S903 was used to tent stitch the cookie.  

The bag was worked in a woven composite stitch using one strand Brown Paper Packages Trio in four shades of green.  The top is worked in tent stitch.  I couched on Access Commodities Gilt Medium Grecian Twist with gold silk thread.  The tassels were created with Rainbow Gallery Fyre Werks in two different colors of gold thread.  This thread is already kinked on the card so I utilized those kinks as the top edge of the tassel.  I cut them about 2" long (with the bend/kink in the middle) and threaded 8-10 of the threads onto a length of thread which I attached to the canvas.  I tacked them into place with more Fyre Werks thread.  Lastly I used 6-7 red seed beads and stitched long stitches across the top of the tassel.   

The cake slice is shaded with more of the Rainbow Gallery Petite Very Velvet 604.  

The strawberry leaf is more Silk Lame SL63 in straight gobelin stitches.

The orange lollipop used stitched in Rainbow Gallery Flair 573 Yellow and J.L. Walsh Silk/Wool Blend in an unlabeled rust color.  I used stem stitch to follow the curve of the design.  

The brown chocolate was stitched in tent stitch with the brown Very Velvet threads.  I then worked long straight diagonal stitches over the top of the candy using Rainbow Gallery Fyre Werks Soft Sheen in FT2 brown.  

George's Hat was worked in Rainbow Gallery Very Velvet V201 Black.  I worked horizontal satin stitches over two canvas threads across the hat, compensating on the gold.  The goldwork was done with Kreinik 1/16" Ribbon in 002HL (high luster) with a combination of satin and gobelin stitches to best cover the area and give a mirror image in the design.  

The belt was stitched in vertical satin stitches across the entire belt using one strand of the Neon Rays+ in SP01.  I used a laying tool to make sure they were flat.  The buckle is a little tiny rectangle of gold kid leather that I appliqued with gold silk thread.  The same Neon Rays+ was used for his boots and all the black details on his coat.  The grey strap on the boots is stitched in pearl cotton and more of the tiny silver cording was couched onto the top of the boot.  

George's sword is stitched in the same Rainbow Gallery Fyre Werks F3.  I had a green crystal that I used on the hilt which I attached with a green seed bead.  George's pants were stitched in basketweave with blue Paternayan wool.  

George's eyes were stitched in Kreinik Medium #16 Braid in Blue with white silk Au Ver a Soie.  

I used Felicity's Garden in 008 Cast Iron Black for his mustache (worked in long and short stitch) and the eyebrows (worked in vertical cross-stitch).  For his beard and hair I used Rainbow Gallery Wisper in cream blended with one strand cream Medicis wool to stitch long and short stitch.  I then switched out the cream Wisper for Grey Wisper W60 and used that for the midtones.  Continuing with the grey Wisper I now switched out the Medicis wool for two strands of silk thread.  I happened to have a black and grey overdye from The Silk Gatherer which matched well.  I used that for the dark tones.  As a last step I had a long wispy white thread (unlabeled) that I used to stitch long stitches over the top of the previously worked beard which I then trimmed to the length I wanted.  

Georges mouth was done with tent stitch and a red Victoria Clayton silk.  His teeth are vertical satin stitches in Needle Necessities Spring II 300 White.  I then used a single strand of black 310 DMC floss to separate the teeth.  

I used little bits of silk thread or Kreinik metallics here and there through the design to match the paint, especially with the gold.  You can never have too many sparkles!  Extra Kreinik colors used: Fine #8 210, 001C,  Tapestry #12 002V, 002, 005HL, 1/16" Ribbon 002, 002HL.

The background was stitched in one strand Caron Impressions in cream using the Ming Stitch.

Whew!  I'm sure I missed something... will post and update when he is finished into a stand-up.

Amanda Lawford Nutcracker Santa #1

I've started a new Amanda Lawford Santa; the theme of this guy is The Nutcracker.  

He's a handsome fellow and his buddy the big nutcracker is really cute too.  I've been enjoying stitching this piece and it is going faster than I anticipated.He is 15" (38 cm) tall and is painted on 18 mesh mono canvas.  I mounted him on the mini stretcher bars because I like the lighter weight of these bars and it needs to be portable; otherwise it will take me years to stitch.  Most of my stitching is done poolside while watching my children at swim team practice or swim meets.  

I recently finished up the Royal Santa and had loads of threads left over from that.  I keep my threads stored in a seven bin covered container so I broke up the Royal Santa threads into those bins.  I then decided I have so many threads (too many) that I would try and stitch this Nutcracker Santa completely from stash.  Of course, once I started pulling threads I realized that I needed a few odds and ends so off to the Needlepointer. I went to buy some soft yellows and greens for the bag.  

I started stitching the undercoat first.  It is worked in Appleton wool, the leftover purple from Royal Santa's cloak, with one strand.  I took a photograph of the area first, because I know that I was going to bead the snowflakes over the understitching.  

Then I stitched the undercloak, stitching right over the white paint for the snowflakes.  

 After the undercoat I worked the Mouse King's cloak in the same wool, using basketweave and shading the cloak. 

I then moved on to the red coat.  While working on the coat I stitched two of the snowflakes.  I'm embarrassed at how much time I spent on these. My original plan was to stitch all the red, covering the white, then make the snowflakes separately and attach them. I spent four hours making two snowflakes but they just didn't look right. So I took a picture of the area with iPad (which I love to stitch off of, btw) and stitched the red, compensating the stitches around the white.  I then played around with the beading until I got the look I wanted. It is a combination of 8-10 beads on a strand which is then couched down, and individual beaded stitches. I anchored the thread a lot on the back so it is really secure. I'm most pleased with the lazy daisy bead loops. Small joys.

The red coat is stitched in Pavilion Stitch variation, alternating direction.  There are empty threads throughout that I am going to stitch a bead in when I get some at-home stitching time.  The threads are Trio in two shades of red.  I used au ver a soie for the highlights on the sleeves, which are stitched in Diagonal Beaty.  

Next up was the present in the top left corner. It is stitched in Milanese stitch in Vineyard Shimmer S-504 Lollypop for the side and basketweave Rainbow Gallery Treasure Braid 284 for the top.  The ribbon on the side is long satin stitches of Kreinik 014 HL 1/16" ribbon couched with 094 #4 braid.  After the background is stitched I will do laisy daisy stitches at the top of the present.  

I then stitched the faces of the Santa, the Nutcracker, and Clara, as well as the toy Nutcracker.  I used four strands of Au Ver a Soie silk.  I blended colors together to get the shading I wanted.  The eyes were then done with a metallic for a bit of sparkle and the lashes were done with one strand Felicity's Garden in Cast Iron Black.

Best stitching spot so far - 69 Beach North of Kona, Hawaii on Thanksgiving 2012

Next up was Santa's beard.  I used two strands Soie d'Alger Au Ver a Soie silk blended with one strand Medicis Wool.  I started with the grey areas first, using one strand grey silk, one strand white, one strand grey Medicis.  Then I lightened it up by swapping out the grey Medicis for white (001) but keeping one strand grey silk and one strand white.  I then switched to two strands white silk and one strand white Medicis.  I used sort of random long and short stitches, following the curve of the painted grey lowlights, shading, trying not to stitch more than four canvas threads at a time.  After it was completed I went back over it with Rainbow Gallery Wisper in W88 white to cover any canvas-hole-meet-ups that looked odd and add a bit of fluff.  I must also note that rather than doing long and short I stitched basketweave around the Sugar Plum Fairy so she'll stand out a bit when I stitch her.  

Lighting was now dim on the plane so I started the large Nutcracker's hat.  More to come!

Melissa Shirley Sugar Plum Fairy and Grandfather finished...

I love them!  I am going to call them my Nutcracker Lollipops.

I originally stitched these over the summer of 2009.  I did the ornament finishing sometime in 2010, but I never got around to having Brad make the stands until this weekend.  I painted them blue and pink layered with gold and accented with ribbons.  There is a closer view on my Melissa Shirley stitching page.  

Blue Dogwood Designs Postcards from Seattle

This is a fun little series of hand-painted canvases from Kay Fite of Blue Dogwood Designs.  Kay lives here in Washington and paints her own canvases.  I stitched them in basketweave using wool threads, overdyed cottons, Kreinik metallics and whatever other little bits of threads I had that I liked. I stitched and finished them in 2012. Finished with silk backs and custom cording.  

Amanda Lawford Royal Santa FINISHED

I can't believe I finished him yesterday - I am thrilled!

(Me thrilled!)

I started this piece in April 2008.  I did take lots of small breaks throughout, most especially when working on the yards and yards of cream background.  

I was working away on Bullion Knots all this last week.  These are worked in two strands of Trio, a silk and merino wool blend.  After I did the entire edge I went back over it an did French Knots for additional shading.  

The edging around the bag was next.  It is stitched in horizontal oblong cross-stitch with one strand Kreinik cord.  It's muted and I think it helps add sparkly without being over powering.

Now for all the fun embellishments!  I rolled the canvas down to the very bottom and started working my way up.  I couched down the gold trim on the cloak front (see overall picture, also shown a little bit in the above picture.  It was couched with silk thread and I plunged the ends into the canvas back with my laying tool.

The stars are stitched in Kreinik 1/16" braid, laid flat with each stitch.  The sterling silver chain was couched on the surface.  

Two more trims for the sleeve - both couched on the surface with the same gold silk I used in the crown.  Also I attached the oval gems.  I realized that the light blue on the sleeves was unstitched so I used a blue Kreinik and did basketweave to fill them in.  

The ribbons from the staff were couched on - the green ribbon, then the gold metallic ribbon, then the hand-dyed red silk ribbon.  

While watching Victoria swim last night I attached the Fleur-de-lis for the staff topper.  There is felt underneath for padding, then the gold, then I couched Gilt Medium Grecian Twist around the design.  

Very last was the jewel.  GeorgiaDee had already glued the shell to Stiff-Stuff.  I used petite gold seed beads and worked peyote stitch around the shell to create the frame.  The stiff stuff is then trimmed back and I couched it to the hat.  There was empty paint around the edging so I filled that in with purple, then added a looped beaded run around the shell at the base.  I love it!

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!  I am probably going to finish him as a stand-up then give him a designated storage box under my bed.  I thought about a wall hanging but Madeline (my 8 year old) pointed out we don't have a good spot to hang him on the wall where he would be displayed at Christmas.