The Kimono is framed!

I picked this up from the framer today! Fast Frame did this piece for me and I think they did an exquisite job! The top mat is black linen, the under mat is gold and they left a black edge of the canvas around the entire piece. The gold frame hints at oriental and of course it has museum glass, so I shot this without the flash. I am taking it back to them tomorrow so they can use it in the window for a couple of weeks--they should be proud of this one!

Look what I got! times 2

I was just minding my own business, cleaning the house and doing laundry and DH came up with a package that came in the mail! Since I wasn't expecting anything, I looked to see who it was from--Jane in Chilly Hollow. Oh, I said, she is just returning the beads I had sent for possible use in an upcoming project, and off he went. Then, I opened the package, and sure enough there were some beads I had sent, but another tissue package as well. Hmmm, what is this? I carefully opened it and TADA! She sent the Kimberly Crum tool case to me!! Happy dancing all the way downstairs to brag and boast to DH!! Look, look, look what Jane sent me!! He stopped reading and appropriately ooohhhhd and aaaahhhd too! Thank you, Thank you, Jane! (I guess all that sniveling and whining I did had an effect! LOL) You are a sweetie! In case you missed seeing this on Jane's blog, you can see it here:
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010_01_18_archive.html

Before I started cleaning and dusting and laundering, I went to the framers and dropped off the Kimono. I am trying another framer and I must tell you when I walked in with the piece, the woman who does the needlework there was amazed. She loved the piece but was ecstatic about how straight and flat it is. She said she usually had to spend a great deal of time working on needlepoint pieces as they were distorted. I explained to her that I used a different frame called Evertites and gave us worker bees an added bonus by not having to work so hard to keep it straight. I will pick that up in a week. I also went to the other framer and picked up this piece:I am very pleased with how well it came out after the second attempt. It was not straight in the frame when they first did it, so I asked them to redo it. I know, I am very picky! It it now hanging in the bedroom. Yippee!

Fixed and Finished!

I fixed the May stitch all the way down to the hem. It didn't take as long as I thought it would to restitch it and a little of the April stitch I removed. I then put in the collar and hem with vertical Gobelins using Frosty Rays color201. Basketweave was next to fill in below the collar area using Pebbly Perle. Moving on, I couched the lines on the patchwork, hem, and collar areas using 1 strand of Accentuate 003 and couching down one strand of 107HL #8. the sash and the entire outside area are couched with the same Accentuate but couching down 1 strand of Razzle Dazzle 6. Even though the directions did not call to outline the Kimono, I did because I am not doing any background stitches. I do not want to distract the eye from the kimono and want the black background to pop the kimono as it is. This will go to the framer tomorrow! Thanks to Tony Mineri and to the ANG for providing the pattern for this piece.

It is the Donahue!

Yes, I finished the February SOTM! I worked the Donahue stitch in Panache, color 40. This area also worked up very quickly. Then....... I backed away from the piece and saw the error on my part. The double front band needs to extend down to the hem. Before proceeding with the finishing touches section, I will remove the stitches from yesterday and rework the front band to make it technically correct. That is what I get for just whipping out that Nobuko Variant! LOL
P.S. See, Jane, even those of us that have counted for a while make mistakes!

And April too

April is the Nobuko Variant Stitch and I love the Nobuko stitch! It zips right along and I used Panache in color 39 and stitched this area in tonight fairly quickly. There is just a little more to do and this will be completed!

Progress on SOTM

Well, I did it again. I started on the November stitch and it was a four step filling pattern. I felt it was too heavy for the whites and golds. After scouring my "stitchy" books, I decided to use the Jacquard stitch. The white is Vineyard Silks Shimmer in Cloud and the metallic is Kreinik #8 in color 3221. In order to lay in the pattern I also laid a line of thread on the diagonal under the sash and continued the pattern down to the right.

July Stitch of the Month

Today I completed the July stitch called the Russell Variant-the lowest band from left to right. I used Rainbow Gallery Cashmere in H15 for the vertical thread group. I then used Kreinik #12 in 002 HL for the diagonal loops. After I had gotten started, I made a note to self that when I do this stitch again that I will put in the diagonals first and then the verticals. It would be easier to tuck the verticals under the diagonals than the other way around.

Also, working on black canvas, I have a tan background under my feet so that I can easily see the holes for the needle. If you don't, use a white pillowcase or whatever to lay across your lap and you will be able to stitch very comfortably.

Sally's Diamonds

Sally's Diamonds is the August stitch of the month. I first put in three strands of Splendor in 802 which is the filler for the diamond. Then, I used #8 Kreinik in 3202 to create the outside of each diamond. It is a fairly heavy stitch but will be offset in the next areas. Next up is the July stitch which covers from the top left clear to the bottom right.

The Souffle Stitch is finished!

Blogger will not let me upload the photo again last night. Blankety, blank, blank! I used the laptop this morning! I am now moving to the August stitch which is right below this area.

Top shoulder progress

I worked more on the Souffle' stitch last night and got a great photo! Blogger would not let me upload it last night, but today...here it is! Again, I am using the Neon Rays and Kreinik #12 in 210.

Two issues equal a deviation.

Second, I apologize that the photo is not better. I thought it was clear when I shot it, but after uploading it....not so much. But for the first:
The top right is supposed to be the October SOTM called the Upright Trellis. There are four steps to the stitch. I first laid out the grid as described in instructions step one and two. I then came back and add step three to about the top third and then also completed step four in the same area. This was very heavy and marched up and down. The left side flows diagonally towards the center. When I backed up and looked at the overall piece, I did not like that the left shoulder now dominated rather than melded with the rest of piece. Soooooo, I took it all out! I spent some time cruising my books and started over. I am using the Souffle' stitch instead. It lays diagonally, opposite the left side and towards the center also. First, I laid in Neon Rays 03, and then came back and filled in with Kreinik #12 in 210. The balance came back and I am pleased with the substitution. The next photo will be better, I promise!

Cassique Stitch is done

This is what is left of the DMC Overdyed #4150 that I used on the Cassique stitch. I put it on a white card in hopes that you could see the slight overdyed variation.
I completed the sash section tonight and used the #12 017HL for the tied filling stitch. Tomorrow I will start at the top right to fill in the next area.

Change of Plans

First, Happy New Year everyone! May 2010 be a stitch filled year for all of us!

Since my LNS has to order the Kreinik I need to finish the Tooth Fairy Box, I moved on to the next week's project--the Stitch of the Month Kimono by Toni Mineri. I am working on the September stitch for the sash on the right side. I am using my DMC overdyed perle and #12 Kreinik for the tied stitch. I hope to finish this section tomorrow!

Starting September

I know I am a long way behind on this, and I admit, it has been a busy summer!! I started the Cassique stitch by working the Scotch portion with DMC #5 in overdyed color 4150. Next I did the fill in design with #12 Kreiik in 017HL. This stitch continues on the other side and you can see where in the bottom right of the photo. This is where I will resume stitching when this is back up in the rotation.

I did it!

I actually finished area five (June)! LOL! I am waaaayyyyy behind on this Kimono! However, I did complete this section tonight. The Henderson Variant (top left, by the way) was worked using Neon Rays in N90 and then the tent stitches were done in Kreinik 002, size 12. I think it looks good and it is shinier in person. I am going to start the September stitch next on this piece. It is the area to the left of this one I just finished. As I have said before, working with this much silk and metallics I do prefer to work from the top down to keep from dragging my hand over the whole thing while stitching. I know I could turn the canvas and or cover the other areas, but it is just one of my quirks. Trust me, it is not the only one!

Boy, is that yellow

I took this photo, thought it was all right, but when I got to the computer it sure is yellow!!
Anyway, I started the June SOTM on the Kimono. It is a Henderson Variant. I am using Neon Rays in N90 and did several rows of the three diagonal Gobelin stitches working from left to right. This stitch works fairly quickly and this one will be completed when I return to it in the next rotation.

Both cuffs

If you remember I had previously stitched the right cuff but had to pull it out because I had slanted the ground fiber in the wrong direction. It is now stitched correctly and I moved to the bottom to finish the small section of the center band. I put it all in and realized I was off by one thread. I pulled it all out and gladly set this aside until next week! Did you ever have one of those nights? LOL

Back in the swing

I finished the May Stitch of the Month for the ANG program by Tony Mineri on the collar tonight. I still have the right cuff to do and a little triangle down by the bottom of the kimono. For this stitch I am using #12 Kreinik braid in 002HL and Soie Cristale--three strands.
I am also back to rotation stitching and will be introducing a couple of new projects to replace the completed Kick Back and Stitch and the Fireworks piece.

Back to the Kimono

I made it to the collar on the front with the Kreinik gold and three strands of silk! I did lay in a couple of threads to show where the collar will start. There is also a little piece that goes clear down at the bottom, but I am going to finish a lot of other stitches before I worry about that. I am so happy to have this worked all the way up the front and hope that the next rotation will fill in the collar!

Moving Up

I really got a lot more done tonight on the left side! As you can see I am almost to the neck on the left side as well. This picture makes it a little easier to see the developing pattern up the fronts. Looking at it straight on, I can easily see the cluster of four stitches all the way up the front. I figure two or three more sessions to finish up the front and neck. Then, one more after that to get the other cuff in and the little piece below the sash.