A New Thread

We got a new thread in at the shop and I am always delighted by the opportunity to play with something new. 

This is Silk Straw by Silk Road Fibers being produced Alchemy Yarns and marketed by the Needlepointer out of Everett, Washington. 

It's 100% silk. There's 11.1 yards on a card which is pre-cut into 8 lengths about 50" long. 

So far I've only played with it to make smooth stitches. Which is does quite well. It's very soft and pliable. In fact, these stitches are smooth and pet-able (is that a word?)

Tremendously easy to work with. In fact, I didn't even use a laying tool, just my finger to stop it from twisting. Next up, trying to make it twist. I've got some branches to stitch and I might try this thread.

I also had just recently done a stitch sample with the Thread Gatherer's Sea Grass which is very similar, only it's 100% cotton. Both look like they should be a pain to stitch with, but both are remarkably easy.

The blue photo is the Silk Straw.

The light green is the Sea Grass. 

A Splash of Color

Way back two months ago I was in such a rush to redo the finishing on a piece before the Woodlawn Needlework Show deadline that I forgot to take a picture.

Was so surprised to win a blue ribbon for original canvas multi stitch.

Grateful, but surprised. There were more items in this category than there usually are.

The 603 is a piece I created two years ago for a challenge to surround something you love. It involves fabric transfer on congress cloth and then an extended dive into my fiber stash. I didn't have to buy a thing.

And Moxie got an honorable mention.

I wish you could all be here to see the show every March. The talent demonstrated with needle and thread is amazing.

Pacific Coast Collage

Back from the framers and this photo does not begin to do justice to it.

My husband went with me to Total Framing where we were agonizing over the mats. I had such a problem with the dark green outer border. I wanted, no I needed it to be less prominent. Every combo we were trying wasn't working. If my friend, Michelle, hadn't walked in to pick up some framing supplies, we might still be standing there dithering.

She said the magic word - orange.

And that was the solution. The thin inner orange mat fixed everything. After that picking out the frame was simple.

Love, love, love this!

Thank you, Laura J Perin, for the wonderful design.

Shower Cat Progress

Kitty has  body, but still needs her paw and whiskers.

But I need to put this down for a bit to work some borders for a class.

She's so cute.

Purr, Purr

One day at work at the shop back in January, I had a really slow day. I mean really slow. I'd done everything I could do - backstocked, updated orders, cleaned. And then I did the one thing that can get dangerous in a needlepoint shop. 

I picked out a canvas and pulled threads. 

And it followed me home. After I paid for it, of course. 

I just kind of put this on the back burner and let my ideas for it simmer. 

 I have finally pulled it out of the pile o'stuff and started working on it. 

I've got a tiled shower wall made of Vineyard and Pepper Pot silk with water drops done in Water N Ice. 

I'm also changing up the color on the shower cap, 'cause it's pretty darn ugly as it is. 

This is a Patt and Lee design. It comes in multiple sizes and this one is 18 ct. 

Those simmering ideas have led me to paint out the white whiskers on the black. That was this morning. And I've been working on the face. Eyes are done. I really want to get the kitty body stitched because I've got a plan for the shower cap. And I don't even have to repaint it. 

If my kitty, Zoe, was ever going to be caught in the shower, she'd look exactly like this. LOL.