Chinese Rug – Progress 16

Four months and I’m still not done. I guess I’m slowing down – in 2010 I did 4 rugs!

I started work on the center this week by stitching the wings on one side of the medallion in long Satin stitches using the same thread as the background for the center of the rug. Then I used one ply of Trio from Brown Paper Packages in medium blue to weave over and under to make the wings mimic the Giant Brick stitch of the center background. You’ll notice that the thread appears much lighter in the butterflies than the background because I didn’t paint the canvas section for the medallion. I have 4 wings done and will do the other side next week. I need to finish the Basketweave around the butterflies on this side before I turn the canvas around again on Monday.

For the rest of the rug, I’ve continued stitching the background for the center of the rug, and worked most of the borders up to the corner. Most of what is left is the Basketweave background. So I guess Monday will be a Basketweave day so I can turn the canvas around. I want to finish the center this coming week and then work on borders and the background so I can turn the canvas the narrow way to work on the last 6-8 inches. I’m going to shoot for completion in 2 weeks, but I bet it will actually be 3 weeks.

Persian Iris Mandala by Chatelaine – Progress 14

I greatly admire the people who have completed a Chatelaine design. Cross stitch isn’t something that has interested me, until I started seeing all the designs from Chatelaine. So I decided that I had to do one. Crazy? Oh yea!

I’ve been having difficulty with Persian Iris. Two things in particular – doing half crosses correctly and working the metallic decoration on top of the cross stitches. But I’m still working on it. When I get frustrated, I put it away for a week or two and then try again. Which explains why I haven’t posted about the project for two months. But things went better last week when I got it out again. I’ve added the beginnings of the second set of buildings on the right side. I’ve also added the gold trim on the gold building next to the mosque. And the last things I stitched was the small square where the two sets of buildings meet to form the corner.

The blue archways done in Petite Treasure Braid gave me fits, but I was determined to get them stitched properly. Not a lot of progress, but progress none the less. I’ll work on something else this week and go back to Persian Iris again next week with high hopes of more progress and less frustration. Here is the whole piece so far (what can be seen while it’s on scroll bars).

Chinese Rug – Progress 15

I turned the rug around this week and finished the butterfly wings and bodies and started the background. Next week I’ll continue on the background and start on the butterfly wings.

Then I got to work on the background around the medallion – got a lot of that done. And I’ve worked on the borders on this side as well. Things are going well and I’m pushing to get the borders all done up to the corner. Here it is today -

 

Vintage Locomotive – Progress 1

I’ve done some research on this train from the 1800s. This canvas was painted by Anne Cram for starters. She has done 4 locomotives, but I need to put a stop on getting new projects right now.

I looked into headlamps that were used on locomotives in the 1800s. Railroad companies decided that they needed some way to light up the tracks in order to run the trains at night and move more people and cargo. In 1840 Worcester Railroad Company started using headlights with reflectors (probably candles). Some locomotives used whale oil burning through a wick burner. In 1865, Irving Williams introduced coal oil (kerosene) for headlamps. I don’t know the manufacturer of this particular locomotive but found quite a few that had the large headlamp. So my original idea of heavy metal for them was confirmed.

I started with the smokestack. I used metallic ribbons in Giant Brick stitch it. I found out when I got started that there were 4 colors in the smokestack, not 3. So I needed to find one more color. I had white, black, and silver. Going through my stash I found a Fyre Werks Hologram thread that is dark enough to use as dark gray. I don’t care for the Hologram version of Fyre Werks – too fat and too stiff. But it worked well in this piece.

Then I started on the headlamp. I wanted it to appear heavier, so I used Kreinik #8 braid – red and a very shiny gold. For the glass I used yellow Water ‘n Ice. I also bought white and blue Water ‘n Ice to use on the cabin windows and I’m not sure this yellow is best for the headlamps. I wanted it to be a light, which was probably more yellow than white in the 1800s. What do you think?

Here is the piece so far.

Bargello Sampler – Progress 2

I finally got the top, left section completed.

You can now see all six shades of turquoise and rust that are the main colors in this piece. I made a mistake doing the first rows across the top, left. I ripped them out and then redid it properly. I can’t remember the last time I did a bargello pattern but I’m enjoying this one a lot. Just can’t find enough time with all my current projects to work on it as much as I would like. Something about all the train canvases I bought recently? I will continue working on this and get it done before the train projects.

Chinese Rug – Progress 14

The center is moving along now. I used one ply of Trio (the lighter weight version of Silk & Ivory by Brown Paper Packages) to stitch the border of Smyrna Crosses. Just enough to separate the butterflies from the center background. I added the body to two of the butterflies. Then I noticed that the partially stitched butterfly wing on the left needs to be move over one space before I can do its body. When I turn the canvas around next week, I’ll take care of that. I’ll also stitch the last butterfly and finish the border for the center.

On the rest of the rug, I’ve been working on the outer border, did the navy parts of the Meander border to the corner, and worked on the center background which is now stitch to the edge of the lighter blue border. Everything seems to be moving along well right now.

Now that I can see the end of the rug, I really want to speed things up and get it done. Now where can I find a few extra hours each day to work on it…

And Even More Trains

I love the Rebecca Wood Train Station that I’m working on! Then I started thinking about where I could put it at Christmas and that led to – but it will be so lonely all by itself! So last week I expanded on my Stash Enhancement again my heading online. I found these online and they came with stitch guides as well – a real deal. Presenting Raymond Crawford’s Christmas Train.

I’ll finish them as stand-ups so they can be with the train station. I’ll use my stash and try not to buy any threads for these small canvases. Don’t ask! I have NO idea when I’ll get around to stitching them. But somehow I’ll get them done for Christmas!

      

Vintage Locomotive Canvas

It looks like this year will be all about trains for me when I’m stitching. I saw this canvas on eBay and just couldn’t pass it up! The locomotive is about 14″ X 9″ in size.

This is one of the reasons for the stash enhancement trip on Wed. I see this locomotive as going to a museum, so it’s been completely renovated and is all bright and shiny! So I only wanted threads there were bright and shiny. With help from the wonderful ladies at Needle In a Haystack, I have all these wonderful threads – Neon Rays, Neon Rays +, Fyre Werks, Silk Lame Braid, and Water ‘n Ice for windows. We couldn’t decide which color to use so I got white and light blue for the cab windows and yellow for the light box at the front of the locomotive where they would hang a lantern for a light way back when…

I have way to many projects going right now, so this canvas and the Elephant cross stitch will be my weekend projects.

I also bought all the threads I need to complete the Rebecca Wood 3D Train Station. I’ve been working on the roof piece for the last week and I’m about half done with that.

And the winner is…

Thank you to everyone who commented to help me decide which set of stitching instructions I should work on next. Let me say first that I plan on doing all 3 by the end of the year, so if your favorite doesn’t get done this summer, it will be available in the fall.

1. 5 votes for the Teal Rug

2. 5 votes for the Medallion Pillow

4 votes for the Medallion Rug

1 vote for a set of coasters to go with the Medallion pillow and rug! Great idea but I wonder when I will get around to doing them…

So I will start with Medallion. Since most of the motifs are the same for rug and the pillow, after I get the stitch diagrams done for one border I can write that section for both the pillow and the rug. That way both will get done close together. The center medallion is smaller for the pillow and that will be the last motif to be diagramed. When those instructions are done, then I can do the medallion for the rug. I’ll also have to add the Snake Skeleton border to the outside of the rug and it can be finished a few weeks later.

The Teal Rug instructions will be done in the fall.

Chinese Rug – Progress 13

Since I went on a Stash Enhancement trip to Alameda on Wed., I had one less day to stitch this past week. But I still made some progress.

Butterflies are starting to appear in the center medallion!

The off-white part of the Meander Border has just turned the final corner. I’ll continue to fill in the Navy  part this coming week. I’ll also work on the other borders this coming week, moving them closer to the corner to meet the Meander. I’ll add a little more to the butterflies and start the little border around the medallion to I can stitch the center background right up to the border, making it all look a little more complete.

Since I’ve just passed the halfway mark of the rug, it’s also time to stop and see how things are going thread-wise. I always write down how many skeins of each color I have on hand when I start a new rug. Now I can count how many skeins are left of each color and see if I missed the mark on ordering. One color, Sawdust used for the background of the outer border, is quickly running out and I will have to order more in the next few weeks. Everything else is fine. I’ll have leftovers of many of the colors. Practice stitching before I start a new rug doesn’t always give me a great idea of how much Silk & Ivory I’ll really need. Live and learn…