Models to Share

Well the most recent issue of A Needle Pulling Thread is now out on the newsstands. So I can share two more of the models I stitched for them with you. Of course the ones in the magazine are photographed better.

July

cDyan Allaire

A Needle Pulling Thread Summer 2008

Stitched on 28ct Black Lugana with DMC floss

August

cDyan Allaire
A Needle Pulling Thread Summer 2008
Stitched on 28ct Black Lugana with DMC floss

Model #4 Finished, Models 2 & 3 Revealed

Its been a very lazy Good Friday for me, which is great because I needed to recover from that Foo Fighters concert! There's been some serous napping and sleeping in!

Despite sleeping in and taking a late afternoon nap I did finally finish Model #4 that I had been waiting for missing thread for. So #4&5 will be going in the mail on Tuesday. I'll be picking Debby's RR back up for the rest of the long weekend and trying my best to get that done for the April 1st mail out date.

I was at Chapters on Wednesday and noticed that the latest issue of A Needle Pulling Thread is out. This means that I can now share with you the two models I stitched for this issue! Two more fairies for the Monthly Flower Fairies series. Of course they've photographed much better for the magazine!

May Fairy

c2000 Kustom Krafts

June Fairy

c2000 Kustom Krafts

Oh by the way, I never did mention that this past Tuesday's weigh in at Weight Watchers I was down another pound! This puts me at 6lbs lost.

Thursday Stitchers

I just love it when I can get away and get down to Brighton for a Thursday and get to hang with the "Thursday Stitchers" as I call them. Ann has this great group of ladies, most she has met via her shop Knowledge and Needles and once a week they get together on Thursdays to stitch, visit, have tea and treats! Can you think of a nicer way to spend an afternoon. Ann has actually had to start a second group, albeit small at the moment on Fridays because the room is just jam packed on Thursdays. This week's number was down a few as a couple of ladies couldn't make it. They're the neatest group of ladies around (and always welcome me as one of the gang when I make it down)!

One, Marie-Paul is very creative! Here's a new finishing idea for all of you. She took this Crossed Wing piece (Palliated Woodpecker I think).

And turned it into this....

Who would of ever thought of making a chair cover and table cloth to show off a piece! Her husband was wonderful and brought everything over a little earlier in the day and set it all up so the Thursday stitchers (and myself) could see this lovely set!

Judie (of the famed Cows in blankets from Ann's blog) brought an early b-day cake for Ann (its on the 18th). I even enjoyed a small piece, and I can tell you it was worth every POINT!

On the model front... I ended up having to do some frogging this afternoon. I have to say for once it wasn't because I was too busy playing Ms. Social Butterfly (which I love doing!), alas I can't blame it on the Thursday stitchers for distracting me! Because I know I made the mistake at home a few days ago... stitching by myself. However I didn't notice it until today when I started filling in the area with #4 braid. Out came the scissors, snip, snip, snip. I think my frog shower curtain (they're very cute they have googlie eyes and all!) at my house has worn off. They have done a good job keeping the frogs away from my stitching and in the bathroom! Before I put my stitching down for the night I had fixed the area and started the border (almost 1/4 done). Which means... evil DMC metallic time!

Tomorrow I get to hang with the Friday stitchers... and stitch! Also my dear friend Sharon is going to come and stitch with us tomorrow! Yay!

On a sad note, I found out from Chrisanne today that the Lenny Kravitz concert scheculed for Ottawa on the 24th got cancelled. Oh pooh! I was really looking forward to the show!

For Mollie

I heard through the grapevine that Mollie (not Molly) felt all left out after her sister Paddy (not Patti or Patty) recently made it on my blog. Little did Molly know I had pictures of both of the girlie dogs! I look forward to the enthusiastic greeting I'll get from the girls later this week when I go to visit with Ann and Dan!

Well, we survived the snow storm! Looking at the radar, it seems we're pretty much done, we may get the odd light dusting of snow. Todd is getting ready to go out and clear our driveway. Once its done I'll go out and get pictures. We got A LOT of snow... how much I don't know I haven't heard the official word yet but according to Christin who I've been chatting with on MSN our total from Friday afternoon until now is 51cm! That's half of a meter/yard stick folks! Don't forget we got about 20 earlier in the week!

Being stuck in the house I stitched most of the day yesterday.... except for my ahem, nap. I'm making a good start on model #5. As for Model #4 I've asked the magazine to get in contact with the designer for a substitute for the missing thread. The shop that sent me the supplies has it on order, but will it arrive in time? Who knows? The shop suggested that the ombre was a gold to a coppery gold and suggested blending 918 and a gold blending filament. I pulled them out and e-mailed my contact at the magazine and said ummmm no this is a rusty red, it won't work with the description she had given me and it just doesn't look right.

Stay tuned for snow pictures....

On Model Stitching

Jen wanted to know how did I get into model stitching?

Gosh I can't exactly remember when I started model stitching...years ago. I've checked back and my first model was in 2003. Its really quite simple actually, how I got into model stitching. Through a couple of classes with Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams (and I'm sure many e-mails inbetween) we came to be on familiar terms (now I'd like to say we're friends). So one day I e-mailed Jennifer and asked her if she was looking for model stitchers. Jennifer didn't make any promises or hinted, but she asked me to stitch one of her gemstone dragons (they were freebies at the time) on linen and to keep track of how long it took me. I was then next to send her the sample of my stitching (which she infromed me up front I wouldn't be getting it back), informing her of how long it took me. From there, the rest was history, I stitched my first model for her Noah's Alphabet and I've been model stitching on and off from there.

Some jobs I've gone out looking for, such as the two models I did for The Silver Lining. Again I got in touch with the designer and sent a sample of my work. The other people I have stitched for : Misty Stitches, Changing Tides, Great Bear Canada, and A Needle Pulling Thread have actually all gotten in touch with me. I think that's the highest compliment out there, to have people asking me to stitch for them (I was also invited to join Ghost Stitchers at one point but I had too much on my plate!). Most of my recent work has been for A Neelde Pulling Thread, and I hope they will continue to be happy with my work and continue to request my services.

What is the key to model stitching? Being quick, accurate, neat and observant! You have to be a good stitcher, have a neat front and back, also not afraid of new techniques. Accurate : you need to reproduce the piece as charted. Observant : you have to be able to notice what is or may be a mistake, to not be afraid to check with the designer to see if its intenional or a mistake. Also I always read through all the directions if they are provided with the chart, and report anything that is worded wierd, spelt wrong, etc. I tend to imagine I'm proof reading not only the design but the entire package. Communication with the designer while model stitching really makes for a smooth experience and I have often felt that my input is apprecaited!

Model stitching isn't consistant work (but then you'd never get your own projects finished), it can be stressful with tight deadlines, and it'll never make you rich. However, I still love seeing my work on the cover of a chart, or in a magazine!

Thank you to everyone out there who has been confident in my skill as a stitcher to let me work for you!

Model #1 DONE!

Yay I finished model #1 for A Needle Pulling Thread today! I'm so happy to have this one done, and I've started the second. Honestly, I can't wait to get back to my own stitching. Also stitching I can share with you. Its very hard to be enthusiastic about something when you can share... unless its a project that's super cool. Unfortunately these models don't fall into that category for me, but its work and I'm happy to do it!

Photo (point & shoot) : Palm tree at the San Diego Zoo. It is cold out there today and I sooooo wish I was somewhere sunny & warm!

Oops! Forgot To Share!

Gosh darn it, I think I'm loosing it in my old age! I keep forgetting to do/blog things!

Last night while I was out doing my running around I finally found the festive issue of the magazine "A Needle Pulling Thread". What does this mean? That I can share with you the model I stitched back in October!

January Carnation Fairy

by Dyan Allaire

Stitched on : 28ct black lugana

Using : DMC, Kreinik & Mill Hill Beads

Now that I've got my picture up I'm realizing this isn't the best picture. They've got a much better one in the magazine.

Feeling Better

Thank you for all the get well wishes. They must be working I'm feeling much better today... but then it also helps to take a sick day, which is what I did. I was going around work yesterday sounding just awful and all I kept hearing from the folk at work is boy you don't sound well, you should take a sick day. I'm not 100% but much, much better and will go into work tomorrow.

Unfortuantely there's no stitching progress to show... I'm now working away on my model. I have to stay its stitching up pretty quickly so far. I am held back in a few areas as there are questions to be answered by the designer. I don't wan't to stitch something that I'm second guessing on. There's other bits I can continue to work on so I can keep going. This weekend I'll be taking it easy at home so I can imagine possibly finishing or getting close to finishing the project.

Now that the Biscornu exchange I organized over at my BB Needle and Thread is just about wrapping up, I just introduced a new exchange. I'm hoping there will be just as much response. This exchange is a Christmas/Winter Ornament exchange. I love stitching ornaments so should be lots of fun!

Photo : One of the many gorgeous homes in the 1000 Islands on the St. Lawrence Seaway

Offically 1/2 Done!

Today was a PD day at work and for the first time in a long time I took a day of annual leave. I don't think I've done that in seven years. The result of being at home today of course is that I've managed to finish the backstitching on The Castle to date. This means I'm officially at the 1/2 way mark! Yippeee!

However shortly The Castle will get put aside for a short while ... this is why my October goal was to work on it not finish it. In the mail are the supplies for a model for the magazine A Needle Pulling Thread. Its got a very tight deadline so I'll have to drop all other projects until it is done. I'm quite flattered as they contacted me to stitch this piece.

I also finally got pictures of my Sweetheart Tree RR. When I started this last year I didn't really plan this RR at all. Actually to the point where I didn't realize that I didn't have enough fabric on hand. Therefore I had to improvise and use two pieces I had on hand which weren't quite the same white. However I'm pleased with what I got back. I'll have to eventually turn them into two bell pulls.

Next on my stitching to-do list is my Fair & Square round 3 piece since I've got that model on the way I want it done ASAP!