All done !!

I stitched my fingers to the bones this week, but I'm all done.  I attached my last beads this evening.  My over-dyed fibre was a 5 yard skein by Threadworx, 01070 Rocky Mountain.  By being extremely frugal with the 5 yard skein I managed to finish my sampler, but only just.  My tails were miniscule, there was no playing with colour placement, no attaching beads with the overdyed thread, no changing my mind and repositioning any squares. I was a little careless at the beginning, but as the thought of possibly not having enough thread hit me, I started stitching on the diagonal to shorten my paths and altered my backstitching to minimize the travelling tread on the back.  All I need to say is - I made!!   I had 3 little strands remaining, two are about 2" long and the third is about 3" long.  And even these I don't want to throw out until I know for sure that I won't need them any longer - maybe once it's framed I'll add them to my ort box.
For the backstitches within the design and the heart in the final square  I used 3740 DMC, and the beads are 02080.  For the square outlines and the year in the final square I used Rainbow Gallery's Spendor S940.
Click here for the final square.
Thank you all for joining me on this journey.  I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did.

Happy Easter

Every year for Easter I love to pull out my stitched Easter ornaments, painted Easter eggs, and bunnies to decorate the house. We get together with family to celebrate Jesus, enjoy each others company and the joys of spring.  My mom is in Germany this year and it's at these times I miss her the most.  On Sunday we will get together with my Dad and my sister's family.

Here is a little Easter gift for all of you.  It should look wonderful stitched in a variegated thread of fresh spring colours. 

 Wishing you all peace, joy, and love for Easter

Happy Easter !!

18 Square Sampler Part 17

I didn't manage to stitch much this past week, but I did manage to finish sewing 4 pillows.  In the shop we finally managed to get all the models, we had displayed at the NeedleWorkers MarketPlace, back up on the walls, and place some much overdue orders.   The shop was also very busy with many first time visitors to Gitta's.  Some had  already ordered through our website, and while visiting Toronto for Easter decided to make Gitta's one of their stops.  We are always working on the Gitta's website, so stitchers unable to just drop in can see all that Gitta's has to offer, but nothing beats seeing all the hand dyed fibres and fabric first hand.
One of this week's visitors, Rose, even brought her finished 15-sided Biscornu in to show us.  I was glad to have been in the shop to see it.  Stitched on Aida and in my opinion, in a Bavarian colour scheme, was absolutely adorable.  Rose was also thrilled to discover that we have stitched the little squares into a sampler.  So click here  for the 17th motif.  I love the way this one looks when stitched.  Enjoy.

18 Square Sampler - Part 16

This past Wednesday my Mom headed off to Germany for 2 months.  It was hard saying good-bye; I will miss her terribly.  We are with each other always in the shop, and rely on each other for many things.  When heading off to Germany, she always likes to take little "Stitcher's Care Packages" for 2 of my cousins that love to stitch.  So, one of the items I included was a kit of my 18 Square Sampler.  One of them loves blue and the other "Old Rose" (as she describes them) tones.

Fabric: 28ct Lugana, Ice Blue.  Threads: Hand-dyed Fibre, Paua Abalone.  152 Anchor for the backstitching within motifs.  1064 Anchor for the outline.  Beads: Mill Hill 00358

Fabric: 28 Lugana, Bone.  Threads: Caron Collections Waterlilies Autumn Leaves, 3858 DMC for the backstitching within motifs. 1008 Anchor for the outline.  Beads: Mill Hill 02037

  I can't wait until they finish their samplers and send me a photo.  I had so much fun choosing the colours that I just had to finalize the colours for my own sampler.  I completely changed my colour choice again.  I had trouble finding two solid colours, to match SNC 258, Sidewalk Chaulk, that I liked.  So I went with a colour combination that I had originally wanted to use for my 2nd 15-Sided biscornu. The fabric is a 32ct hand-dyed Lugana, Porpourri.  The hand-dyed fibre is by Threadworx, 01070 Rocky Mountain.  The solid colour within the motifs is NPI silk 935, and the outlined border is Splendor Silk S940.  The beads are Mill Hill 02080
Once I had my threads chosen, I couldn't resist and started stitching. I love the way the colours are working out.  I'll post my progress next week.  For those of you ready for square #16, Click Here.

15 squares expand to 18

Last weekend was Gitta's Getaway Retreat as well as the NeedleWorkers MarketPlace held at the Waterside Inn in Mississauga.  It was great seeing everyone again at Gitta's Getaway.  18 of our 36 attendees were returning retreaters.  The company, the hotel suites, and food were fabulous as usual.  We all enjoyed a pampered and relaxing weekend.  I posted a photo album on my facebook page to share with everyone.  Click on photo album for the link, or cut and paste  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47854&id=100000654471706&l=25c36626af   Over the weekend I will also post onto the Gitta's Getaway Blog regarding all the happenings from the weekend.


As promised here is the border pattern for the 15 sided biscornu motif sampler.  Although I have not yet stitched my sampler, I am anxious to get started. Over the next few weeks, I will first have to finish sewing 7 pillows.  I had put these on hold because of my 15-sided biscornu addiction as well as the final preparations for the Getaway and NeedleWorkers MarketPlace.
Once I do start my sampler I want to use Thread Gatherer's SNC 258, Sidewalk Chalk, for my hand-dyed silk, and although I have not yet decided on my solid DMC colours I do know, that I want to use 2 strands when backstitching the solid colour in the border.

This photo is of Monika's sampler.  She cross-stitched hers 2 over 2 with Gloriana's hand-dyed silk #050, Blue Grass on 28ct Platinum Cashel Linen. She did all her backstitching using 1 strand.  She also did not stitch her motifs in the exact order as indicated on the Motif Layout.  Click here for the chart of the border.  
Over the next 3 weeks I will post the final two motifs as well as a full alphabet for the final square.  Have a great weekend. See you next Friday.

TV Promo

I was at Rogers Cable today, to promote the NeedleWorkers MarketPlace.  I had Roxann Blazetich-Ozols of "A Beaddaddict" and Naomi Smith of "Black Tulip Designs" with me.  We all got the opportunity to show off some of our own work as well as talk about the NeedleWorkers MarketPlace, being held this weekend. 
We were in the last 20 minutes of today's "Daytime Peel" segment, it aired on channel 10 at 11am and again at 3pm.  It will also air this evening at 10pm.  I googled Rogers Daytime Mississauga, and they post their segments the day after it aired.  So if you can't get Rogers Mississauga in your area, you can always view it on-line.

It was fabulous to meet both Roxann and Naomi today and to see their beaded designs.  Naomi is also the custodian of 100+ year old Native bead/embroidery pieces.  They were spectacular, and in great condition considering their age.  If you only come to the Market to see these pieces, you will not be disappointed.

And you thought we were done !!!

Here is my finished Biscornu in my second colour choice.  I finished it last Saturday while visiting with my sister.  I figured that while chatting I could also sew my biscornu together. This being my third one, all my attention could be given to the conversation, and by the end of the evening my biscornu was done.

Third Biscornu?  You're probably all wondering what was her second; did I miss a post?  No you didn't, my second was the Collaboration project for the NeedleWorkers MarketPlace, and here are some photos of the finished project. 
Each designer exhibiting at the show has designed a motif 20 x 20 stitches.  This will be

their free gift to everyone attending the show.  Their "thank you" to you.  Collect all 15 and you can have another fabulous biscornu.

 The motifs visible here are by Brenda Franklin, Carolyn Mitchell, Joanne Gatenby, Laura Dickson, Britstitch, Christine Allen, Jeannette Douglas, Roxann Blazetich-Ozols, and me.  Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to visit with each designer at the show April 2nd and 3rd.  

I have one last surprise for everyone this week.  When I began designing the 15 patterns for my 15 sided Biscornu, I had them all nicely laid out on one sheet, and I loved the look of them all together.  This got me thinking, why not stitch them all as one design.  All they needed was a cute little border to connect them.  These patterns have been a big hit in the shop, and even Monika has been bitten by the Biscornu bug.  So even though she has already stitched them all twice, she loved the idea of a sampler and was anxious for me to design the border.  I had wanted to wait until after Retreat, but she couldn't, so here it is.  Her variegated silk is actually one of my favourite, Gloriana's #050 Blue Grass, and the fabric is Zweigart's 28ct Cashel Linen, Platinum. 

After Retreat I will post the border. You may have also noticed that the sampler has 18 squares.  I wanted to include an initials square, without omitting any of the squares.  So I added another row of patterns.  These will be posted in the weeks following the border.

Sorry to make you wait another two weeks, but next Friday I'll be busy setting up my booth at the NWMP, and starting all the festivities for Gitta's Getaway retreat in the evening. 

See you at the Market, or here in two weeks time.