Sundance "Sparkles"

An adventure into new stitching territory

 

"Sparkles" is an embellishment trim from Sundance Designs that was introduced at TNNA (The National NeedleArts Assoc.) in January. It’s a tubular woven rope like product that can be stretched thin, scrunched big, and pressed flat. It can be couched, stitched, stuffed, shredded, twisted, and turned. It's about the size of a pencil and available in twelve colors and packaged in two yard lengths. The rich metallic luster combined with simple techniques will amaze even the most advanced needlepointer.

Sparkles display



 



 For some excellent examples using Sparkles, go to Barbara Elmore's Blog, Stitchpography. Here's the link: http://stitchpography.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold.html





 



Teaching Oaxaca at The Needle Works in Austin, TX

Another Sundance Teaching Opportunity

Oaxaca, Tree of Life

Individual design elements from Oaxaca

         Stitching Oaxaca was one of my most rewarding and happy needlepoint journeys. I'm so pleased to be teaching it once again, because it's also a happy class project. I'll be at The Needle Works in Austin, TX for a two day class, April 21 and 22.

For information, please contact Colleen at: http://www.theneedleworks.com/ 

 800-851-6931 or 512-451-6931

Oaxaca is full of wonderful techniques using the latest and greatest threads and embellishments. Once started, it's difficult to put down and when finished, 

it becomes a true work of original art.

To learn more about this design, go to my October 2010 blog.

Oaxaca is adapted for needlepoint from the original art of Jane LaFazio.

Visit her website at http://www.janelafazio.com/  

Class at The West in Tucson

Arizona Wild Flower

I'm excited!  I've just made my reservations to go to Tucson to teach "Arizona Wild Flower" at The West. The class date is Friday, March 2, 2012. Our Sundance Designs' Trunk Show is currently on display at the shop. Additional information can be found by clicking on this link to go their website. The West 

This Arizona Wildflower design, also called Mexican Hat, is a fun project that can be completed quickly. It's one of those beautiful pieces that looks complicated but really isn't. The clever use of beads, open stitching, a uniquely padded stem, a dramatic border, and the final touch of a Bumble Bee bead make this a perfect stitching adventure.

See you there, Cassie

San Antonio Needlepoint Project

It's been so long since I've made a blog entry that I forgot my password! Let me share with you what I've been stitching: I was asked by Lisa at the Yarn Barn in San Antonio, TX to come up with something special for her shop during the national ANG Seminar which is being held in her city this year. This was something new for me and I said, "Why not!" So, Lisa sent various advertising pieces with pictures of local sites and our artists put together the above design which I stitched! It was really fun and something different for a change. I used Sundance Beads in the lettering, Sundance Sequins on the umbrella tops, DMC Memory Thread for the Texas flag pole and top. My favorite part is the life preserver on the boat, I covered a round plastic stitch counter for knitting with pearl cotton and attached it with floss. If you go to the seminar, plan a visit to the Yarn Barn to see the finished piece which is available with a stitch guide, and also check out our SundanceTrunk Show.

Border with pomegranates, white flowers, and buds

The top border on my Oaxaca needlepoint has white flowers with shisha mirror centers surrounded by French Knots, orange flower buds, and pomegranates stitched over red felt padding. Each element is connected with Outline Stitches for the leaves and stems. The background stitch is called Railway Ladder and it's done with two plies of floss overdye. I love this stitch when I want the color of the painted canvas to show and by using overdyed threads, a gradual shading is produced.

Top Border on Oaxaca

Threads used are red Splendor Silk, Threadworx floss overdye, white Frosty Rays, orange Sparkle Rays, green Impressions

Missed stitch revealed

Last month when I posted a photo of one of the borders on Oaxaca, I was shocked to see that I had missed a stitch. I was so surprised that I had missed seeing it until I saw the photo. I searched the entire border and couldn't find another missed stitch. So, I wondered if anyone else could find it.

Here it is. I've marked the spot.

Have a great day stitching and I hope you find all your missed stitches--better yet, I hope missing stitches is a thing of the past.

Find the missing stitch!

This is the border design I used for Oaxaca. It's a laid filling stitch. That means that you lay in some long stitches and then you lay other stitches over them creating a pattern.

It's always a surprise when we think we're finished stitching, and then notice that a single stitch was missed. Well, I noticed a missed stitch in this border. See if you can find it. Hopefully, you'll find only one!

The threads used in this border are Rainbow Gallery Linen, Neon Rays, Petite Sparkle Rays, and Threadworx floss overdye.