M is the end.

Yes, that is all I had to do! I put the "M" in with some fiber from my Japanese gold stash. In the first one, I used a piece of Jaceron that I stretched. Unfortunately, the label was missing from this package, but it is similar to Jaceron. I did the same thing by stretching it out. I then couched it in place using a single strand of Kreinik Cable in gold. Our friend's last name also starts with the letter M so they are pretty close in appearance.
This stitched up fairly quickly. Thanks again to Sharon G for such a great canvas design and she also gets the credit for the idea to use the Japanese gold in the center for the initial.
Tomorrow, I start the "lottery" to determine what is up next!

The last line

Yes, tonight I stitched the last line of the Shave Shave Shave! Yippee! This type of background goes fairly quickly. Using the Perle Cotton gives it some shine. If I use this type of background again, I could use an overdyed thread if it was pale enough not to overpower the main focus of the piece. A metallic, such as Kreinik, might also be interesting as would just adding a single thread of blending filament or Accentuate.
I only have the center of the emblem to finish, but, that has to wait until tomorrow night!

That is better

I am back on track and recovered from the single thread error! I almost made it to the top of the bristles tonight! I certainly counted veeerrrry carefully tonight!
This one is very nearly finished and I am pondering the next project even while I am completing the final rows!

Why is it?

I spent a lot of time working on the Shave today. Tonight when I sat down, I realized I had made a mistake 16 rows back. I practiced my least favorite rip it stitch tonight and kept kicking myself for that one thread error!

A couple more patterns

Even though I did work outside in the yard some more today, I also got to sit down and stitch for a little while today. I am hoping for more stitching time tomorrow as it is supposed to rain most of the day. If that is the case, I hope to get lots done!

Moving up

I completed the weaving down to the bottom of the piece, and then started working towards the top. The threads do pass behind the brush and are not tied off until I reach the right side. Since this piece is very narrow, I make sure I tug each part of each letter so there will not be a slacking issue.

This is how I did that

Jane has asked how I figure out how to weave the words into the background on pieces. I apologize for not having explained that before. I redid what I had scribbled on a sheet last nite, this time on time count paper. First I just wrote out the word Shave. Then I shaped the individual letters to both fit in the squares and to retain the shape of the letter. Next a few spaces to the right, I drew in another S, then skip a line below and another S, and finally below that another one back to the left.

Tonight I finished one entire pattern of the sketch so you can see the words as well as the entire blank line below the first set, and took this photo for you to see how it works out. To start each row, on the left side, I put a pin stitch in the ditch and then come across the bottom to the first stitch to fill in. I work the pattern across and finish with another pin stitch on the right side and trim the thread as I complete each row.

What in the world....

I am sure when you look at this you are asking just that!! Tonight I set up my weaving pattern on a 12 stitch to the inch piece of grid paper. I will be weaving the background, like the other one, with the word Shave, using white DMC pearl cotton. I only got a few rows in tonight, so I am not sure you can see the beginning of the words, but it is there.
By the way, I too, like the first one better and that is because of the colors. I like those greens but I am doing this to match colors in their bathroom. I will also be adding the letter in the center of the emblem on the base, but, not until the weaving is all done.

Then and now....

Jane in CH asked me if there were differences between the first shaving brush and this one. Yes! There definitely are. The one on the left is the first one and was done in different shades of green than the one I am doing now. I also did the bristles a little different on the right one. I did finish the bristles on the current piece tonight. I added in the rest of the cream stitches and also unraveled a piece of Trebizond and did the edge stitches for a little twist and shine. The same colors are in both pieces except I am using a different camera than I was then. Tomorrow night I will start working the background.

It is supposed to look like

bristles on the brush. I got a lot of it in, but not all of it! As you can see, the left side needs to have a couple more bristles at the top. The right side still needs a few more fill in stitches at the top, and, the entire cream color of the top need to be filled in with the split stitches so it will blend. I hope you get the general idea, though.
Thanks for all the great comments on the Circles box! They are quick to finish when you can do a lot of spraying!

Back on track

There, now I feel better. On both side of and in the middle of the center emblem area was painted with shiny paint. I add a single strand of Accentuate to the three plies of Silk Mori for these areas. Then I did the rest of the offwhite and the yellow with the three strands of Mori. It was not too difficult to take out, but I really dislike that stitch!

Did you ever...

have one of those stitching nights when there wasn't much time, and then all that stitched was not what you meant to do?? I just did! I meant to add Accentuate to the cream silk in the areas that were painted glitzy. So, I spent the rest of the time unstitching and will correct the fibers tomorrow night! I am glad I know how to do the ripit stitch so well!

Some gold, some black

Moving up from the bottom, I completed the decal below the oval, the oval and the black neck of the brush. I used three strands of the black DMC Rayon and one strand of the Kreinik gold for the decal and around the oval. The neck of the brush has a few solid black stitches. Then, I took two strands of the darkest green Mori and blended it with a single strand of black to give the marbled look to match the base.
Tomorrow night I will start the creams and yellows on the base.

Let the stitching begin!

As I mentioned last night, I am stitching the Shaving Brush by Sharon G, for the second time for a friend. She has asked that I use a different shade of green (to match their bathroom) than I had used on the first one. I also had used all of some of the other fibers, so I am doing close approximations on those. I should also mention that, as a rule, I do not stitch two of anything, so I don't write down thread changes, except what I note on the blog! LOL But, these are good friends, so I agreed to do it.

I started the base of the brush, which is to look like Malachite. I have three shades of Silk Mori in green, a complimentary blue green in the lower left corner, black DMC Rayon floss, and Kreinik oo2, size 12, gold. I used three strands of the silks and floss to complete the section below the emblem. I used a single strand of the Kreinik gold to complete the single row bands.

I normally work most pieces from the top down, if possible. In this case, I did not want to do this as the bristles of the brush end up as the focal point because of the layering. So, like the first one, I will complete the base and then the bristles.

A repeat performance

Yes, I am going to be stitching the Shaving Brush canvas painted by Sharon G, for a second time. A friend of ours saw the first one and has asked me to stitch it again for her husband. I was fortunate to find the canvas again, at the Thistle Needleworks in Glastonbury, CT. Here is their website. http://www.thistleneedleworks.com/ I have no affiliation with the shop, but do go there every time we go to Connecticut! LOL
I will be using different greens this time, but doing the rest of the colors pretty close to the first time. (Insert here: it would have been smart to write down all of colors I used!) There will be a few changes, but not many, so I hope you follow along.