Sunday, February 28, 2010

Two More Prairie Schooler Blocks Finished

Blocks E and F have been added to D!
D*E*F by The Prairie Schooler
25ct Fairy Dust evenweave
DMC cotton floss


E is for Embroidery


I had fun with this block and added a little dimension with the spools of thread.







F is for Friends






I had more fun with this block by adding a padded satin heart . . .







and french knot flowers . . .

Here are the changes I made to these blocks:



E Block:
Tapestry: background 938; flowers & leaves: 3362 to 3363, 3011 to 3013, 3857 to 3722, 422 to 677, 3828 to 422; Letter E: 3363; Leaves: next to face 3012; Lady: hair 938, face & hands 754; Hoop stand: 938, linen 712, embroidered initials & year; Cat: added whiskers; Spools: 3857 to 3858, used padded satin stitch (1 strand) on both with blue thread going thru needle & red thread hanging loose.



F Block:
Tree Trunk: 434; Doors: 3829; Window: flowers French Knot 1 strand, stems 3013; Girls: hair 838, dresses 3768 & 3363; Cup: BS 3858: Heart in hand: padded satin stitch 2 strands; Key: 3013.



Hop on over to the Prairie Schooler ABC Stitching Bee here and check out all the fun!

Here's my total progress so far . . .


Blocks D, E, F, & M, N, O. Where to go next????

Winter Heart

Another quirky humbug

Winter Hearts by Just Nan

28ct White Opal Cashel Linen
DMC & GAST
beads
This could have been finished as an ornament or fob by adding a hanger. Instead I added weight to the bottom to give it stability for use as a pin cushion.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

D is for Drum

Letter D from The Prairie Schooler D*E*F (Book No. 99)
25ct Fairy Dust Lugana
DMC cotton floss


Another letter completed in The Prairie Schooler alphabet. Just a few changes:
Drumsticks: 680
Drum: blue 311, red 3858, green, 3012
Letter D: 372
Acorns: 680
Eagle: wish I had stitched the body in a lighter color - 3371 is so stark making this eagle look 'headless' instead of just bald - all you see is body.


teresa w asked if I complete each x stitch before going on to the next. In this design, because there are large areas of one color, I will do the bottom leg of the cross stitch all the way across a row and then complete the top part of the stitch on the way back. In smaller areas I will complete each stitch individually being careful not to lose the floss behind the threads of the linen.


I seem to be doing a lot of ripping out (feel like I'm stitching this twice). As I'm going along I'm choosing lighter shades. The ripping out is creating a great deal of frustration but I am determined to complete this entire alphabet. The design is just wonderful. I can't wait to move on to "E is for Embroidery". I'm already thinking of ideas for those spools of thread.