I have a three wedding gifts to stitch this year. July, August & September. Two cousins and a co-worker. I am going to stitch the same pattern for all three because I like the design, it works up quickly and I want to improve in hardanger. I should be fairly proficient by September! I really like hardanger but need practice and this is a good way of getting it. I would put myself at the high end of the beginner scale, could easily tip over into low-intermediate. I used Trebizond silk perle on August….looking forward to the other two because I am not using silk on them — perle cotton all the way! I find that no matter how securely I am anchoring the silk it slithers undone in places. I also occasionally pick the silk with my needle while I am stitching. My hands are really dry from winter and that doesn’t help out either. The final nail in the silk coffin is the expense versus cotton.
I started August first then found out about July and September. I am thinking of adding a couple of sparkly items to July to make it special and then for September I am going to change the colours completely to complement the bride’s colour scheme.
My guild has settled on what we are stitching for our Christmas Fund Raiser and there are some cross stitched ornaments and hardanger ornaments. I signed up for a hardanger ornament.
I am comfortable with cutting the fabric…think about what I am about to cut…count the threads…think some more and then cut very carefully. I am ok with kloster blocks. I prefer woven bars over wrapped bars. I am hit and miss with picots right now, although I’ll have plenty of opportunity to improve. Dove’s Eyes are coming along. I have Janice Love’s book Basics and Beyond. It’s been a great reference. I am going to have to get her other book, Fundamentals Made Fancy.
As of last night I am very close to finishing August. The top motif is bullion roses, french knots and silk ribbon leaves. I finished the hardanger and added the beading to the completed portions. There are about six roses and I’ve gotten 1 1/2 done so far. I’m going to bring it in for show and tell to the guild meeting tomorrow night.
Alas no pics of these gifts until after July’s wedding. I am going to finish the beading on Deck the Halls by Just Nan once I am finished with the August gift. I have ordered the fabric for July’s gift and will stitch on whatever catches my fancy among my UFOs until it arrives.
There is so much going on over the next few months. Only about a month and a half until Seminar!
Melissa's Needle Work Blog 