Melissa's Needle Work Blog

Christmas Stitching

Melissa C — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:13:49 +0000

For Christmas this year I stitched Mirabilia’s Gardenia & Lavender Spring Garden Pixies for my Grandmother and Mother. They stitched up relatively fast.

Gardenia

Lavender

Sorry you missed it…

Melissa C — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:22:07 +0000

I printed off a saying for a co-worker for a laugh and she wanted me to stitch it for her. I found a nice border from a site with historic patterns. I was working on it at my guild meeting and it got some giggles because it is so true. I used ThreadworX Chilli Peppers for the border and Woodland Green for the text.

It’s been awhile :)

Melissa C — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:50:14 +0000

I’ve been improving my crochet skills and doing less needlework. I have taken a break from the crochet and am now working more consistently on Tuscan Midnight by Needle Delights Originals. It’s the blue colour way and it feels more like a polar midnight to me.

Here is my latest progress picture.

Tuscan Midnight - Needle Delights (blue colourway)

Town Clock Stitchers Scott Manor House Exhibit

Melissa C — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:12:01 +0000

I haven’t posted since February! Ugh. I have been thinking about it though, but everytime I go to take an updated picture of what I am working on the camera batteries are dead and I keep forgeting to charge them. I’ve been crocheting and of course stitching this whole time though.

Anyway, my guild’s annual exhibit is coming up and I thought I’d mention it. This year we are doing something a little different. One entire wall of the exhibit room will be dedicated to one of our founding member’s work. Janet Brown has designed original crewel pieces and stitched them over the years. It should be a really amazing collection to see. I’ll poste pics of the exhibit of course.

Where: Scott Manor House, Bedford, Nova Scotia

When: Monday, July 18 through Sunday, July 24 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Tuscan Midnight & Gentle Waves

Melissa C — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:43:15 +0000

I am working on another afghan. The pattern is from “Around the Seasons” from Bernat and is called “Gentle Waves”. It will be a Christmas present for my cousin Erica. Her fave colour is pink so I chose three shades of pink and white (Flamingo, Sea Shell, Antique Rose and Snow: Bernat Satin).

Gentle Waves - Bernat

Now for the main event I purchased two Needle Delights Originals patterns and the fibres for each. Tuscan Midnight in the cool blues colour way and Amazing Color. I started Tuscan Midnight first. So far I am on the fifth round.

Caron Watercolours in Blue Colour Way for Tuscan Midnight

Tuscan Midnight by Needle Delights Originals

Keeping my hands busy at least

Melissa C — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:37:48 +0000

Well I haven’t done much stitching since finishing the last of the Christmas presents. I went to my cousin’s for a week after Christmas and while I brought something to stitch I never got around to it. Got it in my head that I wanted to crochet something and I had received Michaels gift cards for Christmas so I purchased some yarn (the colour is “Lotus” from Bernat Super Value) and I have a book of Birthstone Afghans by Liesure Arts so I tried a few swatches and “November” won. I’m not an expert at crochet but I can manage this pattern. This yarn has my fave colours in it, in the shades I like.

A Box For Your Treasures

Melissa C — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 16:23:56 +0000

Last weekend I took a beginner course in Stumpwork and Cartonage. The designer/teacher is Joyce Gill. Joyce walked us through the steps for stumpwork on the first day and then for making the box on the second day. I finished my box last night. It’s going to be a Christmas present for my mother because pansies are her fave flower.

Treasures designed by Joyce Gill stitched by Melissa

Humbug Exchange

Melissa C — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:38:03 +0000

I participated in a humbug exchange and I received it in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I figured it was about time that I took a picture and posted it. Shiela chose a pattern from Faby Reilly Designs that has lavender and butterlfies on it. It’s really pretty. For a picture of the humbug I stitched for Sheila please follow the link to her blog. I used a band from ‘Crimson Fire’ by Thea Dueck.

"Lavender Humbug" Sitched by: Shiela and Designed by: Faby Reilly

I like the desinger so much that I bought a pattern, stitched it and finished it within a week.

"Christmas Star" Faby Reilly

Christmas Prep Time

Melissa C — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:49:03 +0000

I really got out of the habit of posting over the summer. I’m busy making Christmas presents…nothing like procrastinating. I should have done this early in the year rather than now. Oh well. I got the Christmas Just Cross Stitch magazine and found a few in there that I like. I went through older magazines and found an old Just Cross Stitch pattern that I think my mother will love. It is a set of 6 ornaments designed to give the impression of stained glass. The colours are very vivid and Christmasy. I’ve only got one done so far. I am going to stitch them close together and frame the piece rather than make them into separate ornaments. The black is DMC Light Effects and you can’t tell in the picture but it picks up the light and sparkles a little.

Just Cross Stitch, December 2005. "Stained Glass Ornaments" designed by Julia Lucas

I’ve finished two other ones so far. At this point I’m just picking the ones I like and churning them out. The patterns call for fancy fibres (like Weeks Dye Works) but the DMC conversions/options are also listed.

Just Cross Stitch Christmas 2010 Issue, "French Country Star" designed by Jusy Whitman - JBW Designs

Just Cross Stitch, July/August 2010. "Mine!" designed by Michelle M. Lash - Brittercup Designs

Town Clock Stitchers Scott Manor House Exhibit July 2010

Melissa C — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:56:23 +0000

I didn’t post all summer…but here are the pictures from my guilds exhibit in July. Once again the exhibit was gorgeous. Jean organized and several guild members volunteered as support staff for the week. Walking in the exhibit room the first thing people saw was a crewel embroidery piece of all the provincial flowers in Canada designed and stitched by Janet Brown. This corner of the exhibit was for crewel embroidery, thread painting, and candlewicking.

Just inside the door to the right of the crewel embroidery was our display for the Christmas Fund Raisers that our guild stitches every year. Cross stitch ornaments on wreaths and a banner of four hardanger hearts.

Then moving left…

Well that is it for my exhibit pictures. I have been stitching myself and will post that in a seperate entry. I did a lot of stitching on a few different things…so I only finished one thing this summer (a Christmas present for my cousin). I’m about 75% through a Mirabilia piece.