Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Staff and the Trunk





Last night the wizard's staff had its jewel added. I used a blue flower shaped crystal with a hole in the center from Mill Hill. You probably can't tell from the photo, but I used a blue bead to hold the crystal in place. Bring your needle up in the center of the Holograpic Fyrewerks oval, put the crystal on the needle, then go through the bead's hole and back down through the crystal and tie off on the back side.




I also added the trunk's brass lock, stitching it on using the same brassy gold colored Fyrewerks that the edges of the trunk were stitched in. The really interesting thing I did was I used the same ribbon-like Fyrewerks for the decorative stitches underneath the stone on the top of the staff. Look at the top photo again. See the gold lines at the base of the oval? That's Fyrewerks, too. I simply came up with a short length in my needle, then twisted it over and over and over until the thread resembled a perle-type thread instead of a flat ribbon. Then holding it steady about an inch from the fabric, I plunged the needle. That holds the twist in place. Come up again, repeat for as many times as you need to do the tight cord that resembles how Joan Thomasson decorated the base of her staff's stone.

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Want to Be an Angel for Christmas?

I got this message from my friend Mimi last night (below). If you have anything to donate or want to make an ornament, email me at chillyhollow at hot mail dot com and I'll put you in touch with Mimi. Remember, nothing breakable and it's got to be at her front door before Halloween so things can be packaged and mailed to our military.

Mimi's worked on cookie shipments to the troops in the past and also on shipments of small toiletries. This year it is trees and ornaments they are collecting, so help if you can! Make an ornament or donate some you no longer need, your choice. Thanks.

"We have 200 Christmas trees and 400 stockings we are trying to get ready to send to the troops. If you or any of your friends have any needlepoint tree decorations you no longer want I would gladly take them. Or if they want to make some that would be great, can be knitted or crochted as well. (Just nothing breakable) One lady cut up old cards, punched holes around the picture and then crocheted around and made a loop and they are going to be cute ornaments for the trees.

I am looking for some easy ornament patterns that I can NP that don't have to go to a professional finisher, will see how I do. I have lots of blank canvas so I should be able to do something. Anyway if you have anything, have friends who have anything, I need it by October 31st as we have to make get everything ready to go by beginning of Nov."

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow