Wings for the Renaissance Rat

With my computer back from the shop and the failed wireless card replaced, I can post photos of my Renaissance Rat's wings. Above you see two and a half rows, the solid red one in Patina #PA247 and the metallic one my Kreinik red and gold #203, in size #16 medium braid.

The stitch is called Angel's Wings, on page 74 of Linda Corirossi's "Canvas Embellishment: Exquisite Needlepoint Stitches Made Simple" book. (Note: this is her first book, not "Canvas Embellishment: The Sequel.")
http://www.threadneedlestreet.com/booksndptstitches.htm

I think this looks quite nice as it echoes the zig-zag pattern of her skirt, but runs diagonally NE to SW which is the way the wings are laid out. It also looks like the fancy sleeve of her gown, which is a plus since it ties the outfit together visually. As an added bonus, I've not used this stitch before--something new is always fun to try.

As you can see, I have a lot of background to go and haven't started the rat's face and paw or the collar, either. But I'm getting there!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Laying Tools

If you haven't read Sue's blog posting about her various laying tools already, you should look at it here.
http://sudukc.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/i-lay-i-layed-i-will-laythreads/

I like to use metal laying tools like my Best Laying Tool (also known as the BLT) for silks and wooden laying tools for cotton floss, while I also use my trolley needle a lot as it is always handy on my left thumb. I also have a nut pick from my nutcracker set that handles ribbon threads like Flair and ribbon floss very well. I think one's hand size is important here, so do try out laying tools before you buy.

I recently found this nice source for laying tools, some of which are new styles to me. Have fun browsing now, and laying threads later!
http://store.apneedlearts.com/layingtools.html

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow