Golden Rabbit's Halo

Yesterday it was cool and rainy and windy and I was sick of housework so I couched a halo for the Golden Rabbit using a long strand of my Kreinik copper/gold 002V color. Traditional couching is pairs of metallic thread but I always have more luck couching one thread in such a small space. The halo itself is around an inch long and almost half an inch wide. It is tied down with two strands of gold Accentuate. I worked from the outside in and was very careful to keep the thread from twisting so it would lie smoothly on the NP canvas. After I had everything couched, I started on the background again to help me decide it the halo looks good. It is a bit offset due to the rabbit ears, but I think I like it. What do you think? I am considering adding beads around the outside but that needs to wait until all the background of this area is finished.

I finished all the trims on the skirts except for the final touch of beads. I'm debating whether to use the little gold beads, the larger pale copper beads, or to do French knots in my ivory Silk Lame Braid in the center of the flower shapes. Stay tuned! I'll work on background while I ponder it all. Sometimes it takes a while to visualize the possibilities and see if you can come up with any other ideas, then do a little test stitching.

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

A History Lesson (or Two)

I've noticed a lot of articles on the WWW about historical embroidery recently, enough to gather together here for you to browse if how our spiritual stitching ancestors worked interests you. First of all, ever wonder how sequins are made? The folks stitching the reproduction 17th Century embroidered jacket have photos of the raw materials that make up the spangles they are going to attach to their piece.
http://thistle-threads.com.mytempweb.com/blog/index.php/2009/05/making-spangles/

And they say that the silk purl that is being reproduced for the project may be available commercially. Another thread-hurrah! I'm sure those who like reproduction embroidery are thrilled but I must say the variety of new threads available makes me drool, too. We really are lucky that the interest in hand embroidery is strong enough to make new threads available to us.
http://thistle-threads.com.mytempweb.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/silk-purl-another-ripple/

As you know, I live in an area where there is a lot of interest in samplers, either modern takes or historical reproductions. I am starting to understand that stitching samplers is a kind of time machine, taking the stitcher back in time to another era and way of thinking, stitching and living. You can see some of this appeal in an article by Needleprints, an English sampler design company, describing a visit to some of the areas where samplers have originated.
http://needleprint.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-1847-sarah-pugmire-finished-her.html

Do you love Japanese Embroidery? Have you always been puzzled by the flowering trees depicted in Asian embroidery? Which is a cherry tree? Which is a flowering plum? What do these images mean? Then you will want to read Coral-Seas' explanation on her blog. Look for21 April to read about Cherry Blossoms and 9 April to read about Plum Blossoms.
http://japanese-embroidery.blogspot.com/

To jump to still another era, this Dutch museum has a display of embroidered slippers from the late medieval period. It is an amazing browse, even if I can't read Dutch.
http://m-silkwork.blogspot.com/2009/04/embroidery-at-rijksmuseum.html

I hope you enjoy learning about our past as much as I do.

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

Floral Trim for The Rabbit

Last night I added a bit more basketweave around the Golden Rabbit's wings, then started on the two trims at the edges of her over- and underskirts. Four colors are used n the original design but I decided to use the copper Kreinik for two of them. The ivory Silk Lame Braid is what I used for the flower shapes made of tent and reversed tent stitches. I have no idea what I'll do next but probably it'll involve more basketweave marathon while I think about it. Beads go in the center of the ivory flowers but I might use the little gold beads in her necklace instead of the larger pale copper beads. I don't want to cover up the flowers with a big fat bead in the middle.

Stay tuned.....

In other news, Stitch Niche is posting photos of new canvases daily as they arrive from their Dallas show orders. You can see them here. The second link is their shop newsletter, full of photos of projects finished and underway as usual.
http://www.needlepointyaya.com/website/new/may/mayindex.htm

http://www.needlepointyaya.com/newsletter/may/maynews.htm

Needle Works in Austin is also posting new items. I was particularly interested in SharonG's new half nature/half meditation pieces and in the bird stockings from Share One's Ideas. To see everything from these two designers, click on their name in the left hand column. Don't miss SharonG's Twin Beaks. The pun makes me laugh and the abstract birds would be fabulous stitched in silks and metallic fancy stitches.
Somebody call Marnie Ritter--have I got a painted canvas for her!
http://www.theneedleworks.com/catalog/

In designer news, Lani's updated her website. It's not quite done but you'll enjoy seeing the lovely slide show of finished pieces and the bare naked painted canvases are a treat!
http://www.lanienterprises.com/indexa.html

My final posting is really special. You may know that Kimberly Crum (now Kim Smith) has stopped created charts. I think her pieces are fabulous so I was really sorry when all the work got to be more than she wanted to take on. But we can take heart that occasionally, very occasionally, she creates painted canvases. The newest one is up on her blog. I don't know the size, cost, if a stitch guide comes with it, or any of the details, but the design itself is vintage Kimberly--floral and rthymic and nature in motion. Lovely! I was especially charmed by the large leaf and how the background is denser at the top and then fades towards the bottom. Thank heavens Kimberly gets inspired occasionally!
http://akimberlydesign.blogspot.com/2009/05/swooosh.html

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

Bunny Wings

As you can see, I completely abandoned the basketweave background marathon last night and concentrated on stitching the Golden Rabbit's wings. The white thread is my ivory and gold Silk Lame Braid, while the golden thread is the Lorikeet wool. I used only two plies of the wool here so as not to completely hide the Silk Lame Braid. Once the rows of stitches were in place, I filled in the empty spots betwen stitches with my pale copper beads from Toho. It took a while to stitch everything and I'm not 100% sure that the edges are compensated properly, but today I'll fill in the background around the wings and figure out if there are places that need padding out where they meet my DMC ecru perle background stitches.

I also gave the rabbit a necklace of little gold Mill Hill Petite beads. The pale copper beads didn't look good against the brown of her neck fur, so I went with gold.

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

News in CH and Elsewhere

When either Needle Pointers or Needlepoint Now arrive in my mailbox, I study the issue cover to cover. I love all the articles (Hey! The Spinister Stitcher is writing for NP Now! I hoped they bribed her with champagne--Coni's definitely a champagne kind of gal.) and I read each ad, too. Gives me plenty to talk to you about.

First up, new monthly clubs! Choice is good, right? Chandail has a new Kelly Clark club--Christmas alphabet blocks. I wish the finished photo was better but the idea is fabulous.
http://www.chandailneedlework.com/series/MerryChristmasBlocks.php

Needle and Thread of Tomball has a darling little scissor fob of the month club. If you want to do something small, this is the monthly club for you.
http://www.needleandthreadoftomball.com/jm/

Pocket Full of Stitches has gone Kelly Clark with a lovely Thanksgiving set called The First Harvest. Details and the canvases are here.
http://www.pfos.com/KellyClark_TheFirstHarvest1.HTM

Stitch and Frame has a Cross a Month series to stitch and display. They also have a Fleur de Lis series for those who love French pattern. The Cajun Twelve Months of Christmas series is also on this page. Fun! I think all the designs are from Jude Designs (second link), but I can't be sure. Nice job, whoever the designer is.
http://www.stitchandframelafayette.com/Needlepoint_by_Category/Category/Monthly_Series_Sets.htm

http://www.spicyneedlepoint.com/index.htm

What's the Point has the last new club, a series of Kathy Schenkel Santas. Sadly, their monthly club page hasn't been updated with photos yet, but it shouldn't be long as this club starts in July.
http://www.whatsthepoint.biz/clubs.php

I discovered that Sign of the Arrow has yearly limited edition ornaments. 2009 isn't up yet but if you are a fan of this famous shop that donates a huge portion of their profits to charity, you'll enjoy seeing the little designs that come with a stitch guide and threads. These appear to be on plain canvas so you either will follow a chart or transfer an outline to the canvas.
http://www.signofthearrow.com/shopping/category.php?category=4

Ok, everyone go get a beverage, then settle down with your monthly club design and we'll watch Debbie get her cat design worked up. Coni, pass the champagne bottle, please.

Oh, the news from CH is that the white irises are blooming.

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