A Stitch Here... A Stitch There...
It Has been a while, Dear Readers, since I showed you progress on the many petit-point projects I have under way. Above is the mini Christmas stocking kit I started on the "extra day" of my recent travels. I was so worn out once I got home that tackling big projects was beyond me. So I pulled out the little stocking and just added a few stitches from time to time. These stockings are quite small and the stitches add up quickly!
Before too many days had passed I was seeing great progress!
The background is supposed to be "pink" for a girl...
but it is such a pale shade of pink it almost doesn't look pink!
And as I began to recover my energy
and look around at all my waiting projects....
(a few too many perhaps?)
I realized that I was so close to completing the
William Morris carpet that I should just get it done!
All I needed to do was finish the border background
and bind the edges all around.
Sorry about the darkish picture......
But you can see that the stitching is finished!
Here you can see it has been removed from the frame
and I have begun to bind the edges.
And as for the Dragon Carpet, Dear Readers,
I had reached a difficult place and hadn't done much....
I had completed most of the leafy vine sections
that I was sure I would use as the original chart placed them.
You might remember that the original was very different...
(no dragons for starters!)
The central medallion was way too small....
so I designed the Dragons for the middle...
But on either side of the center there is a
"golden" figure of something I can't quite decipher.
Is it supposed to be a pineapple...?
A Turtle...?
I just am reluctant to continue with this part of the design!
It needs a makeover....
Which I am starting to attempt to design....
You will be the first to see it when I have it figured out!
But meanwhile, the border needs to be worked on...
and this frame is too small to do that comfortably....
But, Hey, I just took the other carpet off the bigger frame....
Here are the two frames stacked for comparison.
It doesn't look like much of a difference....
But more space is more space...
so I stretched this in the bigger frame.
Just look at all that extra room!
(Sorry it is a little blurry...)
I put the frame in the stand and got to work!
Up until this point I had used the smaller frame like a hoop
just holding it in my lap which was a bit awkward.
as well as the redesigned side sections.
We shall see how it goes!
Meanwhile, I have finished the little stocking kit.....
I'll add it to the collection of stockings waiting for that step!
So you can see, Dear Readers,
a stitch Here and a stitch There
adds up to a whole lot of
stitches in Time!
Wow, you do such beautiful work, I am amazed. Absolutely gorgeous!!! So glad that artisans such as you have these blogs. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! I do love to stitch... for me it is a bit like painting... but more complicated... it requires mapping to get it right.:):)
DeleteHi Betsy! So you have so many projects on the way.....hmmmm nothing has changed since the years of my absence :D! But each of them is beautiful, and if you have fun with them than it's okay to do/have them, isnt it? I can imgaine it was the perfect thing in mini to do after your journey home, you must have been emotionally and physically exhausted.
ReplyDeleteThe William Morris carpet was almost ready....?!! And nowyou finished it, incredible good of you, it looks awesome, a true mini treasure!!
And there's even more: a dragons carpet! What a fantastic design, you changed it into a gem. It looks gorgeous but I do understand why you are reluctant.....looks you have more space on the bigger frame.
You do magic with mini embroidery work, as you also do with your mini paint work and so on. Amazing work, Betsy!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my blog, it's sooo good to be back again in the blog world, I missed you all!
Warm hugs, Ilona
Dear Ilona, it is always great to hear from you! I do have a "few" too many projects ongoing! Lol! And I always have to make myself stop before starting a new one.... but I make exceptions for stitching... I am allowed to start them any time! :):) I find it therapeutic to sit and stitch. The Dragon Carpet is needing a lot of re-designing....and I expect it will take a long time to finish. The thread count is tiny so I have to have other projects to stitch when the light is not as good. Thank you for your comments! :):)
DeleteYour embroidery projects are so wonderful, Betsy! Adding a few stitches at a time is a great way to work!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! I love to be able to just pick up a piece and add a few stitches. It is really useful between other tasks that require decisions! LOL! I have a few too many projects.... but I love them all... so onward I go! :):)
DeleteUna puntada, otra puntada....Betsy has avanzado mucho!! La pequeña bota navideña queda preciosa! Y la alfombra William Morris es una belleza, que gran trabajo!
ReplyDeleteLa alfombra de dragones, me tiene entusiasmada y estoy segura que me fascinará!!
Diviértete con tus magníficas labores!!
Besos.
Gracias Pilar! I do love to stitch! I am glad you like the results. I do hope I make the Dragon Carpet look balanced in the end... I tend to enjoy the complex patterns and get carried away... we will see! It does take some courage to make these changes... the stitch size is too small to "unsew" so what I stitch will have to be left alone. I am trying to be careful! Lol!
DeleteI need to tell you something - when you wrote about the finished stocking: "All I have to do now is stitch it to the backing.... I'll add it to the collection of stockings waiting for that step!" I was thinking: "Well, I too am waiting for that step as I would love to see them hanging from a fireplace to make a special holiday at the end of the year which shall not be named yet so much brighter". Btw - this stocking would deserve a place of honor at this year's You-know-what-card... *tweet* But most of all this special stocking must go into the Dollmaker's Studio some day... if not there, where else???
ReplyDeleteAnd there was another saying which caught my special attention: "And as I began to (...) look around at all my waiting projects.... (a few too many perhaps?)" this really made my day. Honestly and for a change without any joking: If there ever comes a day when you will not have many waiting projects anymore that will be the day I'm starting to seriously worry about you! Betsy without many projects in progress wouldn't be the Daydreamer I love to visit so much. *smile*
However, you did finish the beautiful William Morris rug and as you already started to fix the edges and regarding your stitching speed I suppose it will be totally finished by now. And it's amazing how fast you created that lovely stocking. And now that you have attached your fabulous dragon carpet to a new frame gaining you more space I have no doubt this will make amazing progress soon. Even if the corners are trying to bother you... just show them your needle and teach them who is the Queen of Threads! ;O)
Hugs
Birgit
Dear Birgit, thank you for your vote of confidence in my "too many projects" situation! I tend to agree that it would not be worth visiting me if I was not busy making something tiny and interesting! LOL! And slowly but surely I do manage to finish things.... I just have grand aspirations so they take a while! :):)
DeleteAnd as for "finishing" those stockings... I keep telling myself to get to that step! LOL! One of these days I will pull them out and we will see how much fun that becomes..... I have a few ideas...! LOL! (That seems to be part of the problem... a few too Many ideas! ) But yes, I am getting back to work now... the list is loooong....!! :):):)
Tu alfombra terminada es un trabajo espectacular, lo cual me imagino que las que has comenzado seguirán el mismo camino, felicidades por tus hermosos trabajos:-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! I do love to stitch! :):)
Delete