Hear Ye... Hear Ye...

Hi Eveybody... Robin here.

I'm the Town Crier today... it's my pleasure to spread the word.

First of all, here's a message from Amy regarding the Eyelashes for the Haunted House:

• "The eyelashes that I used are the ones in the upper right-hand corner of her picture. They will all look good but people always want to know which ones." -- Amy Bunger

Also, in the comment section of Cat Walk, Melinda had a question about the Peyote Beading on Dr. A's coffin. I am posting Melinda's question with Amy's answer as it might be helpful for others when they get to that point of their stitching:

• Melinda:  "This is off topic but I am struggling with the peyote beading on Dr. Acula's coffin. I understand the concept of what we are doing with each row of beading but I can't translate that into actually doing it. My beads on the second row will not stay in place at all. After about 4 attempts tonight on the second row, I am just not "getting it". Amy's instructions are quite detailed but if there are any other suggestions or hints, I would appreciate hearing them. Thanks!"

• Amy Bunger:  "The second row of the peyote beading is the hardest. I also had problems keeping the line straight. Will try to give advice from memory. Put a finger of your left hand under the string of beads to lift them off of the canvas and help to stabilize them. Aim the needle up or down away from the beads as you slide it through each bead on the return trip. Hang in there....I really mean it, the second row is totally the hardest to do. In row three the beads stay pretty much where they are supposed to, making it a piece of cake. After row three I wished that there were more rows to work!"

In my world, last evening I stitched the Harvest Fairy's wings. Today I am working on her face.  She is looking pretty good. Once I got her dress and boots finished, she started to have confidence in me and eased up her attitude. 

preview of Harvest Fairy

Just as a reminder, the Harvest Fairy is the new Melissa Shirley/Debbie Mumm canvas (MSD DM-09) which will be released in the January 2011 TNNA Long Beach Winter Market. I will be teaching her canvas at the Market, as well as my Stitch Guide will be available through Melissa Shirley Designs.

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the weekend. Thanks, Robin

Something's up with Amy.

Amy went shopping for eyelashes!  What's up with that? All she would say is, tell everyone to go buy a set for Halloweenies.  Hum...I didn't even know they were still available.

So, anyone who is stitching the Haunted House, go get a set.

HI Guys

Sorry I have been away lately.  I haven't even finished reading the House #3 guide.  I'm so behind on the house anyway, I may return to the Groom this month and actually get him finished.  I will be in touch again soon.

Peggy

Correction in Haunted House stitch guide #3

Amy has a correction for us.  


"On page 7 Haunted House #3 in the color legend for Diagrams #4 & #5 all of the missing Lorikeet numbers....W?.....are 2. The only places that W3 is used are the stitches designated in BLACK in the diagrams (5 Continental Stitches in each post)"

I am just today going through the guide myself.  I love what she has done with the grass.

Celtic Cross and Needlepoint Now

On the second story of the Haunted House you will find this area Amy's is calling a Celtic Cross, (see page 6 of the guide for the second part of the house). It will eventually have three layers of stitches on top, with the first layer being 4 Way Continental. I stitched the 4 Way over the whole area instead of compensating around the middle area. Amy confirmed that this will work just fine as you can still see the canvas so you can do the next layer. So just stitch over the whole thing!

The needlepoint magazine, Needlepoint Now has become a wonderful magazine in the recent past. The current issue has a helpful article about stretcher bars. I will use some of their tips when trying to explain the value of using bars to stitchers who want hold the canvas in hand. Good instructions for tacking your canvas to the bars is included in the article. If you don't subscribe, you local shop may sell it.

I have just learned that I have been putting Evertites together the wrong way ever since I started using them. So Bride Z. Illa will be the first canvas mounted correctly. So far I haven't had any big problems as a result of poor mounting. What was I doing wrong? See the picture below. The frame on the left is correct. The bars are flush on the ends. The one on the right I pushed in too far. Now, I always made sure the frame was square. But if you put them together with the ends flush, you can be sure the frame is square. I tightened the screws just till they pushed against the wood on each bar. Remember to tighten each and every bar the same number of turns each time you need to tighten the canvas.

Happy Stitching!

The end of May

Can you believe another month has passed.  I am still working on the bricks of the Haunted House.  I hope to finish them by the end of the week.  Then all I will have to do to catch up is the raised stem areas.  And there are a lot of them.   But again, no guilt.  I am thrilled I got so much done.  Because, ready or not, the Bride is on her way.  And she is a real beauty.   I have looked over the guide, and Amy's finished product, (pictured below), and I think she will be a tad easier for us to stitch.  She is just as great as Stirha and Frank, but doesn't look as difficult.  So this will be one that we can actually finish in a month...except for when you go on vacation, or to your nephew's wedding, or whatever.  Again, we will do what we can and move on.  These are going to be the best cast of spooky guys you will ever see or have the privilege to stitch.  Just like the Nativity series, it is a classic one-of-a-kind collection!

Whew!  I got carried away.

So, may I introduce you to Bride Z. Illa.

She is half human, half bones but doesn't seem to let that bother her.  She is anticipating a wonderful June wedding.  I love the double wedding ring background.  And see her lovely brides maids at the bottom of the canvas.  They don't have to worry about getting the perfect dress!

So just do a little more work on the Haunted House this week and then enjoy the wedding!

Batty

When I last reported my progress, my plan was to do a couple of the bats around the chimney and then start the bricks of the chimney. I got carried away and did most of the bats while I was in the groove. I may add some after finishing the piece if it looks like it needs it. It was easy to spread the paper bats with Press 'n Seal out on the canvas and then stitch them one at a time. I have yet to give them bodies and will do so later. The chart Amy provided is great. It allows you plenty options for placement. Now on to the chimney.

Yes, the photo is upside down. That is the only way you can reach that area!

Nice day

Hi guys.   I have no pictures today.  I left my camera at the shop.  I took a few pictures of the Cook-Up class to share with you later.  What a fantastic group of women are in this weekends class.  All skill levels, all conferring with each other and having a great time.  It was amazing watching Amy in action.  She shares so much information.  She does not sit down all day. (Except to help each person at their canvas.)  I will post the pictures this week.

I have just finished the stone chimney trim and cap.  (Page 4 of guide, diagram 7.)  I stitched two layers of the satin to give it some dimension.  I hope to do the satin stitch of the  Cupola stone roof next , (page 5, diagram 9a).  After studying the canvas with the raised stem stitch in mind, I think this roof would be a good place to get comfortable with the raised stem stitch.  But I will do the bricks next.  I am planning for a few bats to overlap the chimney bricks as Amy did.  (See the picture.)  So I will stitch those bats before I stitch the chimney bricks.  Make sure not to cut up the master sheet of bats!  Make a few copies of it and save the master.

Have a great week.

Just another pretty face.

Here's the moon.  You definitely have to turn the canvas, (and chart), upside down to do this.  It's gives the moon quite a personality.  I'm going to do the bricks next.   Any advice out there?

Door done

Did the door yesterday. Never got out of my PJ's. How decadent.

Worked at the shop today. Some of the ladies who are attending Amy's Cook-Up this weekend arrived early. It is always so much fun to see how excited they are. They are going to have three days to stitch, eat and have fun. There's a great variety in the canvases that will be stitched this weekend. I get to see the progress when I work the shop on Saturday. There are still some openings in the fall Cook-Up classes. Call the shop to sign up.

I hope to work on the Moon tonight. Glitter anyone?

Raised Stem reminder

Hi Everybody ... Robin here.

I wanted to mention (yes, another shameless, yet useful plug) that you can refer to Amy's DVD #8, Spiders and More! for a video tutorial about doing the Raised Stem technique. Amy even has a segment on how to do the "Left-handed Raised Stem Technique."

So... with Amy's charted stitch diagrams, her photos, her DVD and Peggy with the Needlepoint Study Hall, the Raised Stem should be very manageable to do. OK, everybody... Relax. Breathe.

It's a very useful technique.

This photo is of a Raised Stem Pumpkin that I did on the Tall Sickly Green House from Melissa Shirley Designs. Isn't he cute!

This photo is of a Raised Stem Wheel on the Halloween Cat Pull Toy from Melissa Shirley Designs. Very effective, indeed.

Well, hope this calming moment helps. Let us know how it goes for you. Thanks, Robin

Ghost Window

 

Hi!  I finished the windows.  The last one I stitched was the second story window with a ghost.  Be careful not to stitch over the post, (laying tool is pointing to it).  And be sure to stitch over the gray tail of the ghost.  I found that if I changed thread in the middle of a row on all of the windows, it really showed.  So just plan to finish a row rather than changing thread in the middle.

lower floor windowpanes...and no guilt!

I finished the other downstairs windowpane and the one in the door tonight.   A little bit every day will get us closer to the finish.  I have been worrying about the fact that I am not finishing each figure in the month I received it.  I have a new plan.  I will do as much as I can in the month I receive a character.  I will put it aside at the end of the month when the next character arrives.  I will continue this throughout the year.  Then in 2011 I will return to each canvas in its given month and hopefully finish it!  What do you think?  I just can't keep beating myself up about it.  This way I will enjoy each canvas and not feel guilty.

Windowpanes

I thought I would never finish these two windowpanes.   So much for finishing all of the windowpanes today.  As usual, Amy's choice of threads and stitch are very effective.  It really looks like glass.

Haunted House window preparation

I've completed stitching the window frames and the areas under the arches.  I took Amy's tip of using just one thread, (the Sampler thread), for the areas under the arches.  It will probably be covered by the wonderful arches we will build.  I am saving the arches for last.  I'm afraid I may get bogged down with them like I did with Frank's pants and not make good progress.

Each window is a little different.  You are preparing them for the stone arches, so you should complete the framing first.  The small window in the center of the house, (pictured below), is totally covered with a stone arch, so only stitch the ledge and center frame of the window.

Tomorrow I will complete the window panes and maybe the moon.

Third floor window with the ghoul in the striped coat

I asked Amy about this window as I was not sure how to stitch the top part of the bottom ledge. I want to share the information with you. You need to stitch over two threads covering the brown line. The raised stem ledge will fit under it.

Stitch a couple of rows of continental, (with three strands of the thread listed in the guide), under the arch with the same thread used for continental on the sides. The bottom of this arch is not specifically painted for the small leaf-shaped points at the bottom tips. Just leave enough room to do one on both sides.

On all of the windows, do one row of continental on the sides of each window, (three strands), and two or three rows of continental under the arches. Amy suggests doing an extra row under the arches so there is no chance of blank canvas showing under the arches we will build on the top of each window.

If you are working on the bricks, check out the comments/tips under Glitter Glue posted on May 5th.

Have a great weekend.

Glitter Glue

Boy what a nice pop to the moon.  The Glitter Glue is super easy to smear or brush on.  I did a practice run and then painted the moon.  I'm not sure if we are to put glitter over the whole moon or not.  I just did the inside of the darker circle line.  We can add to the border later.  Super easy.  Give me something else to glitter!

Bricks on the bottom of the Haunted House

It appears that some of our canvases of the Haunted House were painted differently than Amy's.  If you look at the pictures that came with this months kit, you will see that the bricks end with the sides of the house on Amy's canvas, (picture on left).  Your canvas may not match.  The bricks go all the way out to the end of the painted canvas on Nancy's canvas, as well as mine, (picture on right).  Amy has offered a couple of solutions for us.

"There are two choices that I see  - - stitch it as painted and not worry about it. The viewer won't notice, just like none of us noticed until she started to study the individual pieces of the painting. The other option is to stitch heavier bushes in that area to cover the painted porch. She could build up some bushes on the opposite end to match if she wants. I am not planning on a thick coverage for the bushes so she would need to work them as if they were separate bushes."

Amy

I think I will stitch it as painted.  The bricks are nice and I would rather do more bricks than more bushes.  I don't know why!  

I didn't get to the glitter glue tonight...maybe tomorrow.

Happy stitching!

p.s., I saw Robin's class piece in person today.  OMG.  It is perfectly stitched with beautiful stitches.  She really has a talent for choosing the best stitch for every area.

Haunted House window tips & Glitter Glue

The directions for the window frames are on page 3 of the guide.  It is best to stitch the window frames before the window glass so you have a place to bury threads.  These window frame directions are for the lower part of the windows only.  The upper window areas where you see my BLT pointing to is covered on page 7 under STONE ARCHES OVER DOOR & WINDOW.  There is some brown edging right under the white arches. Even though I read the guide twice, I almost covered those upper window areas with the window frame thread.  Go read the Stone Arches directions before you do the window frames so you understand how it all works together.

And here is the Glitter Glue for the moon.  I hope to spread that gold glitter on the moon tomorrow night.

Begin House Part Two

I can't believe it is May already.  I am going to put Frank on the shelf and get going on part two of the Haunted House.  I am using my new frame stand from K's Creations.  It clamps on both sides of the canvas.  The Evertite stretcher bars are quite heavy, so this set up is better than a clamp on one side only.

I have read through the guide a couple of times and have a game plan.  That includes not getting bogged down like I did with Frank's pants.  I plan to work everything I can before doing the raised stem areas, and there are a lot of them.  There are the windows and the bricks to do.  Amy has picked out some great new overdyed threads for us to use on the bricks, as well as an interesting stitch.  And there are the bats...lots of bats.

And this guide is FULL of tips.  Great tips.  I will share one that is universal so those of you who are not stitching Halloweenies with us can use it.

Amy says,

"When a straight stitch meets a slanted stitch on a needlepoint canvas, there is always a decision to be made. Do I work the straight stitch and cover part of the slanted stitch next to it or do I not work the straight stitch and leave a tiny bit of canvas showing?  The decision breaking question is, "Who owns the line?"  In other words, which object is in front of the other?  If the straight stitch is on the object to the front, then, yes, stitch it to slightly cover the slanted stitch.  If the straight stitch is on the object to the back, then, no, don't take that last stitch; leave a tiny bit of canvas showing."