kamiekirk message #2
Re: Welcome! :)
September 28, 2013 at 3:51:15 PM  (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)
 
I have yet to finish the Dia de los Muertos piece I started working on months ago, due to wanting to crochet, especially considering winter is coming and I plan on making Bella some sweaters.

I also have no time, as I now work fulltime. But hey, I can't complain, this is what I want.

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wscottling message #4
Welcome! :)
October 14, 2013 at 2:45:33 PM  (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)
 
I'm kinds of new to embroidery, so of course I'm doing things the hard way. I want to embroider a quote and a small picture for a friend of mine who is newly married.  Now I'm trying to learn the best way to transfer it from computer, to paper, to cloth (I have transfer paper and pencils in the ready, I just need to get my nerve up to do it).  Then I'll try and not mess it up with my messy stitching because the last time I embroidered anything was about thirty years ago at the age of ten when my grandma tried to teach me... Then of course I have to frame it correctly (it should be framed, right?)

Maybe I should start with something smaller, eh? Maybe get something that's already stamped and color coded? Of course not! If I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna fail spectacularly!!! (or win big, either way...) 

Willow

stitchcraftian44 message #6
Re: Welcome! :)
April 24, 2017 at 7:15:36 PM  (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)
 
Hi, I'm new and am working on my first project. It's a sampler mandala. Wish me luck!

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PhoenixNakia message #8
Re: Welcome! :)
April 3, 2018 at 3:10:52 PM  (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #7)
 
I used to do hand and cross stitch embroidery yrs ago. Have not worked with any of it in several yrs, but recently I have felt the urge to begin working in hand embroidery again. Hand embroidery in the satin stitch was the first thing my Mom taught me to do with colorful threads when I was a teenager back in the late 1960s. It was her favorite stitch and way to create in embroidery. She hated cross stitch claiming there was no real talent in it thinking it was only following a pattern and no creative ability involved. I on the other hand loved cross stitch and would either combine 2 or more areas of different patterns together to make a new unique piece or I would change colors and move things around within a pattern to fit how I thought it should look. That in itself did take some creativity to accomplish. My favorite to work with was the satin or rayon embroidery threads. I always loved the sheen satin gave the picture. I didn't start working in cross stitch til I was in my 20s & married in the mid 1970s.

I recently watched several youtube videos on the art of Chinese silk embroidery. Such beautiful intricate works of art these people create! Well, that set me to wanting to try my hand at this new venture and I ordered a couple of pieces of silk fabric from a felting site that sells it. It will be here tomorrow and I will see if it is suitable for embroidering on. I also ordered silk embroidery threads from a site in China offering 100 colors for a very good price. This will be filament silk threads, not spun silk so we shall see if I am capable of working with it when it comes in. What I read about filament silk is it lays flatter which allows it to shine better than spun silk which has a twist to it. I don't expect this order in til the end of the month or maybe next month. I have never ordered anything direct from China before, but have read it can take a good long while to get to the US. I have time to wait since I still need to finish my loom beaded vulture first before starting something new.

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PhoenixNakia message #9
Re: Welcome! :)
April 3, 2018 at 3:58:11 PM  (in response to PhoenixNakia message #8)
 
Here are the last two cross stitch pieces I did back in 2001 thru 2002 while riding on the truck my hubby drive all over the US. Yes, I did cross stitcih these while bouncing thru many a state during the year it took me to complete them and holding my old toy poodle across my left arm as well. He wouldn't ride any other place, but luckily he wasn't very squirmy and it went well with my needlework.

I made these two for my pen pal I have known through letters since 1977. She lives in Oregon and the horse in each one I created to look like her two paints from photos I had of them I took when we got to meet her in person in 2001 for the 1st time. My hubby had a Coors beer load we picked up in Golden, Colorado we delivered to a distributor in Portland, Oregon. My pen pal lives about 30 miles from Portland in Boring, OR.

The 1st one of the paint running through a desert scene was her favorite horse. The desert scene was a pattern I bought, then created the horse with the paint pattern to match my friend's horse and cross stitched it into the scene. I also created the sky clouds to look like a horse rearing up instead of using the clouds the pattern originally had. Of course she loved that the horse was a replica of her own named Gypsy. I chose the desert scene for this horse because my friend Debbie had always wished she could have open areas to ride in instead of the heavily forested country she was raised up in around Oregon.

The 2nd pic I took a horse head pattern I bought and changed the colors to match her other paint which I can't remember the name of now. Then I took and drew on the material the pine, spruce and fir tree limbs I enbroidered to look like they were coming from above the horse head. I left the rest of the background the natural pale blue color and not stitched. I did add snow flakes you can barely see in this pic falling about since they do get a bit of snow up there. The frames you can see around the edge of both pics is also my own creation cross stitched on the material.

I stitched the edges down and  fringed the material around  in a natural look and used a couple of Mesquite limbs to hang each one from rather than framing. My idea was to create a very natural look for the horses to reside on. Debbi loved them both very much. Now both horses have passed on over the Rainbow Bridge frolicking with other horses and pets waiting for the day their loved ones here on earth can join them. Both of these were 12"X18" size I think. They were not small and I had to work diligently to get them finished & sent by Aug. 30th which was her birthday.

Wished the pics were better and more clear. These were taken in 2002 after I fininished  both pieces and the pixels were not the best on the camera we had. I've lightened both up a bit, but that is the extent of my photo touch up I know how to do.

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PhoenixNakia message #11
Re: Welcome! :)
April 4, 2018 at 12:51:35 AM  (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #10)
 
Thanks Melanie,

To tell the truth I can't exactly remember how I stitched the edges of the two pieces to keep it from unraveling. I'm thinking I did small tufts of fringe together and did a whip stitch in the off white color of the material between the tufts.  It was 16 yrs ago, I did it all by hand with needle and thread, no machine stitching since I was on the truck. Personally I hate to sew by machine even for a simple repair of a seam in clothing. I wished I could see the edges better and then it would come to me. These photos are all I have of the work. If I remember at some point I will let you know, sorry my memory is not so good anymore. I've never used a professional framer before. On the few I did put in a frame & it was not many I did the work myself. And I am by no way a professional at framing anything! I read your post about framing your own pieces and thought back to when I did  that  too.

I'm going to attemp a couple of Koi fish and a lotus blossom or 2 to add background for my 1st Chinese slik embroidery. I'm thinking about working with my satin thread to practice on something first before I use the silk once it gets here. I figured that way I won't waste the silk if I make an awful mess until I learn how to create a decent piece.

Oh I don't think I am anywhere near ready to create my own patterns yet. I have created a few of my own beading patterns for my use and on one of the beading groups on Facebook I belong to I added the pdf file for anyone to use if they so desired. Some said they would make something from them, but so far I have not heard or seen anything come of it. I didn't think they would, but it is fine as they are still my creations either way.

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PhoenixNakia message #13
Re: Welcome! :)
April 11, 2018 at 10:15:51 PM  (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #12)
 
Hi Melanie,

LOL I did not like framing things no matter what type of project it was. And I was terrible at it. That was many many years ago and I have not tried it since. They were small things, so it didn't take much to get it in the frame. It is just not my idea of having fun or being creative. That's why I choose when possible to use natural things like tree limbs to ahng things when it looks right.

I've been checking on the silk threads coming in from China almost daily. It was an Etsy store purchase and for the past week there was no new info on tracking which I am used to given other countries and our mail system don't usually keep up with that at least for us on the receiving side. Checked tonihgt I gave it oen more try before I go back to work tomorrow afternoon and I almost fell out of my chair!! It said on the 9th my threads were in teh Chicago USPS system!! I really did not expect to get them for at least anoither month or more from what I have read in the past about getting things from China. I am elated to get it soon. But also not ready for the thread either. I found a really nice embroidery frame and stand on Etsy a few days ago I want to get to use for my new fetish of embroidery. It is in the Ukraine, so not sure how long that will take to get here once I order it. I hope to get to order it in a couplke of weeks. This one has a lighted frame and is supposed to have 2 sizes of frames with the one I want to order. One is called by them the cross stitch and the other is the tapestry frame. Plus, it can be set up as a table stand or floor and even one setup for attaching it to a shelf or table edge. Really awesome looking for the price they want for so much.  They also have a Facebook public group I didn't join yet. But will if I get it even tho most of the conversation is in their language. It ahs ability for translation for most posts which is nice. If you would like to see the Etsy site with photos of what I am describing, it is called DizayCraftStudio. On this site they only have this frame and loom for purchase in either the cross stitch or cross stitch + tapestry frame. And the price to me is great for what all they offer with it in my opinion, tho not cheap which is why I have to wait a couple of weeks or maby longer to get it.

The beading patterns I have recently made were Southwest style designs. The one I added to the files for other members was for a belt or guitar strap. But I told everyone they were welcome to use any part of the designs in it in any way they desired. I don't have time at this stage of my life to set up, create and sell patterns or finished products. So I didn't mind letting others use the pattern and I was pretty confident no one would only because most don't work in Southwest Native American style designs. I added a pdf for a loom beaded style and another for a peyote style in the same pattern. Of course each stitch style was a bit different given peyote has to be offset and that creates a slightly different look to the designs. The group I added these to on Facebook was Seed Beads And More. It was last fall so those pdfs are buried in tons of flies they have on there. It could be hard to find for you should you be interested in downloading it. Not sure if I sent it to you it will work. Have not ahd anyone want me to send the pdf privately to to them to see if I am smart enough to do so. LOL I would be glad to give it to you if you want it. Of course I have not ahd time to get much done on either stitch style and the loomed one I redid  part of the designs and have a new pdf for that one. I do have photos of what I ahve worked which is not much since I have worked so much on the vulture tapestry instead. Seed Beads And More, Beginner's Guide To Bead Weaving, Beaded Tapestries (and other unique bead pieces), and Bead Awe are my favorite groups on FB. Those are the ones I go to most when I have the tiem to be over there. I soo understand life and too many projects in the works getting in the way of fun things. Not to mention real work that I ahve to go to or I would not be able to afford my fetishes!

This was the 1st design I began for the loomed pdf. I have since taken this one apart, but this is the pdf on the FB group. I have a new pdf for the revised design pattern as well. The patterns on the group are listed under the name Turquoise Fantasy.



This is the revised design for the loomed pattern. I begain this one from the opposite end. The main thing I changed was the designing around the Thunderbird area.



This is the peyote version of the design for my Turquoise Fantasy pattern. That is all I have done so far of it. I do have a pdf for it. I made all these on my BeadTool4 program since I had to add each bead one at a time to create these. When I first started the top loomed design I didn't have any beading programs. I created it the old fashion way with graph paper and colored pencils. Another reason I changed it a bit when I put it through the beading program.

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PhoenixNakia message #14
Welcome! :)
April 11, 2018 at 10:41:41 PM  (in response to PhoenixNakia message #13)
 
I almost forgot the design pattern I created for a Christmas star in peyote this past December. On the Seed Beads And More FB group page they had a November and December beading challenge to make Christmas stars either ones from the pattern pdfs in their files or one of our own. I had made a couple of stars already the yr before and made a few from the files I gave as gifts. Then I decided to design a special one for me in the Southwest style which is what I know best and is the simpliest to create. I did it also on my BeadToll4 program, but since they don't offer star pattern grahps I created the star designs in diamond shapes and just beaded it as a  complete star. I never did change it to a star graph since I know how to follow it to make it without the pattern being on the graph. Soem asked me if I would create one on a star pattern, but I declined as it would ahve had to be hand colored in and no pdf which most folks want to go by. I did tell anyone who desired could use the designs in a star or in any way they chose if they wanted. So far I ahve not seen a single star or other beaded item with my designs which is fine with me too. I do have a pdf for the diamonds I created to amke this star from.

I call this star "Walks In Spirit". It is also the name I  created years ago and use for my beading I send out with any beaded items I make for folks.

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