Paula's Needlework Addiction

Super Bowl Sale at Picture This Plus and other rantings about counted cross stitch

2012-02-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, February 4th, my friends , Judy Starkey, Deb Wolfe, Michelle and I are meeting in Abilene,Kansas for a day of shopping and stitching at our favorite hand dyed fabric shop, which happens to be Picture This Plus. Pssssst ! They are having their in-store Super Bowl sale - 25% off everything but jewelry on Sunday, February 5th !  I can't wait! I have Needle Arts Guild of Wichita tomorrow from 10-3, then I go to Heritage Hut for my knitting group, then friday I am going to go to Advantage Beads to help my friend Margaret figure out how much fabric she needs for her projects when she drives up to Abilene so by keeping myself busy, saturday will get here before I know it!!!!!
I want to get a fat 1/2 of 28 ct lugana Heritage so I can do Rosewood Manor's Past and Present

They are going to introduce their 6 new colors and I can't wait! I already have about 20 different pieces of their fabric, do I need more?    YES I DO !!!!!

I have been working on Mirabilia Bliss Fairy. I am working on her wings, I am doing the wings with a variety of DMC flower thread (which is discontinued) and Needle Necesssities (which is no more, now there is Threadworx which I love too!)

I have started Long Dog Samplers - Scarlet Riband which I plan to do it with various red overdyed floss.

I am working of Wiehenburg Samplers Coat of Arms which I am loving it!

I am also working on LHN Mayflower Landing- I love their patterns! I am almost done with that one.

I am almost finished with Butternut Road Earth Dancer- after picking it up again after a few years only to find the suede that was called for to do the fringe on the outfit just dissolved with the slightest of touch, I decided to pick a overdyef floss to do the fringe with all over again, I have the fringe done, just have a little bit on the trees in the background to do and then look over it for missed stitches and places where a bead should be. I should be finished with that one in a week. Woohoo!

I am on part two of Birds of a Feather mystery , I am doing it on Picture this plus Doubloon. I did not like the fabric that it called for, and for those that know me.......CHANGE ! was called for LOL
I have received so many compliments on doing it on Doubloon.

I started Mirabilia Mediterranean Mermaid on Picture This Plus Phantom and I love it!

On a crazy note: Come April 1st - April Fool's Day I am going to start Heaven and Earth Designs - The Sistine Chapel!!!! This is not a April Fool's joke! I am going to buy the pattern in a few days. I have already bought the fabric - 28 ct Ivory Lugana I am going to work on it every sunday. I have designated sunday as HAED stitching day. Last sunday I almost put in 200 stitches on HAED St.Nick in his study.

I have also bought 28 ct. Lambswool Jobelan to do ByGone Stitches Quaker Christmas II on. I haven't even finished Quaker Christmas I yet! I am almost finished with page 5 of I, but I saw it, I had to have it LOL.

On a side note, not related to cross stitching at all I want to tell everyone----------------------------
I FINISHED THE AFGHAN FROM HELL !!!!!!!!!!
I have knitted for almost 37 yrs and this is the first pattern that I could not understand the pattern. Thanks to Mary at Heritage Hut in Wichita, Ks with her help we decoded the pattern so I could finish it for my grandson Mason before he graduated from high school!!!!!

I am also working on Blackbird Designs Beneath the Sunlit Sky, I like it and I am halfway finished with it, but they wanted the house to be antique rose   REALLY? NO WAY !!!!! I changed it DUH LOL

I am also working on Kustom Krafts Falcon 2, there are a lot of color changes to it so it is going slow but it will be a nice addtion to my Indian wall in my front room.

What I am up to now that it is 2012

2012-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

I have joined the WIPapocalypse Challenge

I have joined the CrazyJanuary2012 Challenge

and there is a contest giveaway at
http://craftymoo-sarah.blogspot.com/

I will post more of what I am doing later!

Updated pics of my work May 30,2011

2011-05-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

LHN Snow White

LHN Singing the Blues

Blackbird Designs Beneath the Sunlit Sky

Mirabilia Shimmering Mermaid

July 17,2010

2010-07-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue Sea

Salem Sisters II

Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea

Out on a Limb

Mirabilia Bluebeard's Princess

Mirabilia Mermaid of Atlantis

Mirabilia Enchanted Mermaid

Wiehenburg Mermaid Sampler

Little House of Needlework Mayflower Landing

Grand Marquoir

L&L Fairy Grandmother

Blackbird Designs Sailing Home almost done

Blackbird Designs Bluebird

Pelin Tezer Alla Turca

ByGone Stitches Quaker Christmas

Needlework Boutique in Plano, Texas, and Aidaworks in Lewisville Texas

2010-03-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

NEEDLEWORK BOUTIQUE, PLANO, TEXAS

AIDAWORKS, LEWISVILLE, TEXAS

Sunflower Seed Shop Get Together in Topeka on Oct 3rd

2009-10-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Kansas Stitchers meeting at Heart's Desire, Wichita,Ks

2009-08-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Nita Sinclair and I have started a Yahoo group called Kansas Stitchers! It is for all stitchers in Kansas and the neighboring states to talk via email about cross stitching, show everyone what we are working on, or have finished and we get together every 2 months at some cross stitch shop, we also go out to a restaurant and have show and tell, and sometimes we even stitch a bit! This month's cross stitch shop was Heart's Desire in Wichita, Kansas. My LNS shop! I have been shopping at Heart's Desire for years!
Here are some pics of last Saturday's fun day with the group! Enjoy!

Pics of my projects I have been working on as of 8/18/09

2009-07-15T16:36:00.001-07:00

Mirabilia Mermaid of Atlantis done on PTPlus Monster Mash
Mirabilia Enchanted Mermaid done on PTPlus Mercedes
Mirabilia Bluebeard's Princess done on PTPlus Swamp
Isabelle Vautier Grand Marquoir
Blackbird Designs Autumn Bouquet
Pelin Tezer Alla Turca

Totally Useless SAL

2009-07-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is my Totally Useless SAL

Pics of my visit to Picture This Plus in Abilene,Kansas

2009-06-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

My visit to Picture This Plus in Abilene, Kansas

2009-06-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Judy Starkey, Debbie Wolf, Sue Wild, Patty Hurwitz (who is the designer of Moonflower Designs, please check out her designs!) , Julie Alderson, and myself all met up at Picture This Plus in Abilene, Kansas. All of us ohhed and ahhed the models on the walls, there was plenty of oh that is beautiful to I would have never dreamed of doing it on that material but it is very pretty!
I found a pattern that I just simply fell in love with as soon as I saw it. It is "La Clef" or "The Key" by Nimue designs. Here is the link to a photo of it http://www.abcstitch.com/optioncart/image.php?id=679892&ret=http://www.abcstitch.com/designers_php/designers.php?page=1&category=Nimue&all=yes?page=1&category=Nimue&all=yes
Then we gravitated over to ..................................................the table holding the overdyed fabric!
Marilyn is such a gracious lady, she explained where to find the aida fabric, the linen fabric and then it came to my favorite fabric, the evenweave. Talk about indecision!!!!!!!!
I felt like a kid in a candy store....................which one do I pick??????????????
I really like the Aurora fabric but with being bombarded with all the beautiful fabric I could not think of one pattern at home that I could do it on this Aurora fabric. I am wanting to do the Needleprint Mary Wigham sampler, and I thought Earthen would do great on it, but they did not have a big enough piece to do her on and I did not want to order it, I wanted fabric to take home with me!
Marilyn asked us for an opinion, boy was she brave LOL! She wanted to know which of the four different color fabric we thought would look best on Lizzie Kate Christmas by the Letter. There were 4 of us at that time and each of us picked a different color, I liked the Carnival fabric, I can't remember the names of the other three, but one was yellow, one was a lite blue with looks like clouds, the other one was another blue. She left it there for when others came they could choose their favorite and the last I heard , yellow got the most votes.
I was also trying to think of the new Mirabilia Mediterranean mermaid that is coming out. I have almost 5 of the mermaids done by Mirabilia and I have used every fabric that PTPlus has that looks like the ocean, or water. I looked on the internet and it calls for Star Sapphire and I think Lagoon or Fathom would look good on it, but in the end I think I am going to wait and do a floss toss on it.
After looking at the models, the fabric, we decided to have a show and tell. Judy's husband works for the police dept and she had specially designed a sampler that would represent his chosen profession and it was beautiful. She also had finished a pattern that was handed out at the last Heart's Desire retreat last April, she did it in three different purples I believe they were the Vicki Clayton silks. Sue Wild went next and she had taken all the Prairie Schooler Santas that come out once a year I think I saw a 1984 Santa on the afghan that she has cross stitched the designs on, it was so beautiful! It was a brillant way to use all those patterns. I have mine in a bag waiting for me to do something with them. For her mother's birthday she had done 4 designs of Little house needleworks patterns and made them into a box with her mother's initials on the top and buttons on the bottom of the box which made a nice touch to the box. Very creative Sue!
Julie brought the same pattern that Judy did from the retreat but she did it in a political flair for a friend of hers. It was the same pattern but they both looked different. I brought my Mermaid of the Deep Blue Sea, Queen Mermaid, Mermaid of Atlantis and Enchanted Mermaid, everyone liked all of them.
Marilyn gave us a tour of what goes in to making those beautiful overdyed fabrics. It is a interesting process what she has to do. She also showed us where the larger pieces of fabric is held and I picked out a 1/2 yd of Voodoo. I plan to do Mirabilia Lady of the Mist on it.
We broke for lunch, we decided since it had been raining outside, we would go upstairs to the deli and order something for lunch. I ordered the Roast Beef sandwich and it was delicious!
After lunch, we went back to the fabrics and helped each other choose fabric, we looked at the patterns again, looked at the enormous selection of overdyed floss, from Vicki Clayton silks to Weeks Dye Works, Sampler Threads, Needleworx.
I left at 1:30 for my dear brother was so nice to drive me up to Abilene in the pouring rain, and I thought 3 1/2 hrs of killing time so I can have a good time In the next post, will be some pics of my visit to Picture This Plus.

I am going to the Land of Temptation tomorrow June 20th

2009-06-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

On June 20th, 2009, a group of ladies from the Picture This Plus Yahoo Group is going to meet up at the Picture This Plus shop at 212 N. Broadway St, Abilene, Kansas. I am one of those ladies!!!!! I have bought fabric through my LNS Heart's Desire since Picture This Plus started business in Junction City, Kansas. Now they are in Abilene, Kansas and guess what? They are closer to me now!!!!!!!!!!
I stopped there in March when they were still in the process of moving their business to Abilene. They graciously let me go downstairs to look through their beautiful overdyed fabric. I bought Barnwood and Lupine. I am hoping eventually, I will get a piece of every color they produce!
I recently ordered the new Mirabilia Mediterranean Mermaid. So I will be thinking of which overdyed fabric would look good for that pattern. I have finished three of the Mirabilia mermaids so far and two more, the Enchanted Mermaid and the Mermaid of Atlantis is just about done I can see the end of the tunnel for them. I
I wonder which colors of fabric will I come home with? We are supposed to stitch, talk, show and tell, and of course, pick out fabric that we have patterns just waiting for fabric so we can do them up! I am taking my digital camera and I will post pics of Picture This Plus Saturday get together.

updated pics that I have been working on 3/24/09

2009-03-24T15:19:00.001-07:00

This is L&L Celtic Autumn. I am doing her on PTPlus Fathom I believe. I don't have the tag on it anymore,but I know it is PTPlus. I have changed the color of her hair for I think it goes better with the color of the fabric.

To the right is Mirabilia's Fairy Moon. I am doing the wings in two shades of overdyed floss. The material for it I bought years ago and I don't remember who is the maker but it is a plum colored evenweave fabric.

To the upper right is L&L Angel of the Morning. I am doing it on PTPlus Fossil. I love using the Needle Paints that is called for in this pattern

This is L&L Fairy Grandmother. I used grey overdyed floss for the hair. I am doing the wing section using flower thread. I think it gives it a better look for the wing part. Done on PTPlus French Lilac.

This is Mirabilia's Mermaid of Atlantis. I am only going to do the mermaid part of the pattern. I have changed the color of her hair, I have used overdyed floss in her hair also, the red are beads. Done on PTPlus Monster Mash.

This is L&L Dance of the Roses I do not particularly like yellow so I decided to change the colors in all of the design! Starting with the skirt part, I love the color 902 so I pulled all the colors in the 902 family and corresponded them with the colors called for in the skirt. The roses in the skirt are all different colors instead of all pink. Done on PTPlus Carnival.

Changing colors from what the pattern calls for

2008-06-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

When I first started Mirabilia's Mermaids of the Deep Blue Sea, I didn't like how the colors of the mermaids were about the same as Mirabilia's Emerald Mermaid that I had already had finished. Plus, I thought as people are different from each other in looks, so the mermaids should be different. The first step to changing the colors is, pull the colors that the pattern calls for one of the mermaids. I did one mermaid at a time. After you pull the colors of the mermaid, what I do if I don't have a particular color group in mind, is to go to the floss card of DMC which shows all the color families that DMC offers. I picked the color family of 550 for one of the mermaids. Then pull the thread that is just in the body of the mermaid, not the fin colors, and line them up from light to dark. With the color family you choose, line them up light to dark. There were 5 colors in the first mermaid in mine, so I had to come up with 5 colors in another family. If there isn't enough colors in the color family you choose, as I needed one more color to do my change, what I did was look through the DMC floss card and find a color that is close to the color family that you chose and see if it would work. I found 153 would work with the 550 color family. Plus, you have to keep in mind, does this new color that you want to use, work with the colors in the fins of the mermaid? Mine did, so I have the 5 colors that I want to use instead of what the pattern calls for, so I mark the new color on the symbol chart of the pattern and I also write on the pattern where there is space not used by the pattern and write out the symbol and the new color that I chose.

Now for the second mermaid, I use a color wheel for the chosing of the second color. To me, both mermaids had to look good together. I could not use two colors that did not gel together. Like one mermaid is red and the other is blue, to me, that would not do. Take the color wheel and find the color of the 550 DMC color and look at it's compliment. I chose 158 -160 colors. Again, you pull out the colors that the pattern calls for in the body of the mermaid and line them up light to dark. You pull out the color family that you choose and line them up light to dark. If you don't have enough as I did again, I chose 792 to go with the 158, 156,159,161 colors that I chose for the second mermaid. The new colors will need to also go with the colors of the fins in the mermaids.

I chose to use the colors called for to do the fins. You can change those colors also if you would want. But in my opinion, I thought they should stay as they were I did change a color in the one mermaid bottom fin that I have finished. It called for a light, light blue and I thought it looked out of place, so I went to my trusty DMC floss card and found another color that would go good with the colors of the bottom part of the fin.

Another point, don't limit yourself in using what the pattern calls for in fabric. Just because it states it was done on a certain count, certain color of material, doesn't mean it is set in stone that, it is what you must use. I use alot of overdyed fabric for my projects. I think it gives your pattern a boost. The MODBS was done on PTPlus Fathom, to me it looked like the ocean depths. I am going to do Crystal Symphony on PTPlus Glory fabric and do the gown in greys. I am doing the L&L Fairy Grandmother on PTPlus French Lilac. I am going to do Fairy Moon on Sugar Maple's Burnt Papyrus. I have had several people say they like my choice of fabric that they would have never thought of doing that particular project on that color of fabric.

Be daring! Make your project one of a kind, put alittle of "you" in every project that you do.

June 27th,2008 Topic: Beads

2008-06-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is Plenty Coup. He was a real Indian, I added alot of beads to his indian dress. He was known to wear earrings so I went to Hobby Lobby and got some little rings and made the piece look like he was wearing earrings. I strung some beads on some thread and made it look like the piece was wearing a necklace. Most of the Indian dress was supposed to be thread but most of it was beads. The Indians were known for their beautiful beadwork. I actually did this pattern twice, I sold the first one to my boss at the time, and I liked doing him I did him again, even better this time!!!!

I like using the Mill Hill Beads, but it depends on the pattern. I am working on Enchanted Mermaid and on the pattern looks like fish scales and I found some beads that look like scales and I am anxious to try those beads when I get to that part in the pattern. Another pattern I am working on is the Queen Mermaid and in it along side on the body part I found some heart shaped beads the perfect size for where the beads go and it perfectly matched the green in the mermaid.

I like to use beads when a pattern has roses in it. I think adding beads make the roses stick out alittle more.

Personally I don't use the petite beads, I just don't like them,they tend to blend too much with the thread.

You have to watch that you don't use too many beads. Too many beads tends to weigh down your piece plus it gets the fabric out of sync. I tend to add the beads as I go, but that varies with the pattern.

Adding beads to your piece while you stitch is easy. You pull up your thread like you are going to start making your x, you add your bead and then go down like the first step in making a x, but with the bead you do not make the x.

June 20th,2008 Overdyed Thread

2008-06-20T10:27:00.001-07:00

This is a skein of Weeks Dye Works. I also use this alot in my cross stitching.

To the right is DMC flower thread, it is not a overdyed but it gives the pattern a softer look.

More Overdyed Thread

2008-06-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is a skein of Gentle Arts Overdyed Thread. I use these threads alot when I work on my projects.

Overdyed thread

2008-06-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

I love to use overdyed thread on my cross stitch. Every pattern that I do, at least has alittle overdyed floss in it. I can't help myself! I started with the Needle Necessities. I have over 100 different colors of those threads. I think they give the design a nice look. Plus, I hate to do a pattern that calls for blending. Take one strand of one color, and another strand of another color and put them together. When I come across that I go to my trusty overdyed floss and I pick a color that is close to what it calls for or if you are like me that changes just about every pattern I do, I pick a overdyed floss that I like and use that. Overdyed thread is perfect for hair in patterns. There are several color changes when you get to the hair in a pattern. If you use overdyed thread for the hair, you don't have that pain.

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

2008-06-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is part of my Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue Sea. I have changed the colors of the mermaids as you can see. I think it is really easy to do: change the colors from what it is called for and colors that you would like to do. First, you pull the floss colors that the pattern calls for. You line them up from the darkest to the lightest. Then you go to the DMC floss card and pick out the color family you want to use. The purple mermaid is from the 550 family. The blue mermaid is from the 156 family. You match them against the colors that it calls for and you put the new color number by the symbol in the chart. I also like to use overdyed floss for the hair. I don't like to change colors for the hair every stitch or two, so if I like the color of the hair then I look to find a overdyed floss that is close to those colors in the hair, I especially like the Needle Necessities. Or, if I don't like the color of the hair and I think another color would look better, I look through the overdyed floss that I have and choose from there. I also do not like to blend like alot of the patterns call for, like, take 1 strand of one color and one strand from another color and put them together. What I do is go back to my overdyed floss and pick a color that is close to those colors suggested. I also like to add beads to my work. More beads ususally then what is called for. I think it gives the pattern a better look. I like to go to bead stores and look for special beads that I think will look good on a pattern.

Some of my many,many WIP's

2008-06-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

I have about 28 projects in the works. I am sure I have more if I went folder by folder in my two file cabinets that I have filled with patterns. I am about to start two more, Celtic Christmas by L&L which I signed up to do a SAL and Crystal Symphony by Mirabilia that my daughter, Shanya picked out saying she liked it. Only one project has a time limit on it and it is the one I am doing for my french friend, Claire Hupin for a charity project for a hospice. All the other projects that I have started is for myself,or anyone else that I would want to give it to, so it doesn't matter how many projects I start.

I especially like the Mirabilia Mermaids. I have the Emerald Mermaid already finished and hanging over my entertainment center in my front room, see the image up to the left.

I have 3 of the Mirabilia's just about all at the same point of work done on them.

Mirabilia Mermaid of the Deep Blue Sea which I changed the color of both mermaids. It called for the same color as the Emerald Mermaid but I thought it would look nice if they were both individualized so I changed one to purple in color and the other a dark blue in color.

The Queen Mermaid, I changed a color in the body of the mermaid, I made the purse like object that she is holding all in beads. I found some bigger heart shaped beads to match the color of the mermaid. I changed the color of the sheath on her also.

On Enchanted Mermaid, I changed the color of her hair, I found some beads that look like fish scales and I am going to use them when I get alittle further down on the fin.

I also have started Mermaid of Atlantis, which I am doing her on Monster Mash by Picture This Plus fabrics. I just love their fabrics, plus they are only about a 2 1/2 hr drive from where I live!

I have changed the color of hair on her.I didn't like how they had the hair color plus the stool like object in the picture the same color.

On the Angel of the New Dawn pattern, I didn't like the greens that it called for in her gown. They were the pucky lime greens and so I changed them to the 430 browns. I have her pic in the Mirabilia message board and have several good remarks on the color changes. I plan to use the colors called for in the garland that is around the angel.

Scent of Old Roses I did not like at first. I almost didn't do her, I was about to rip all the floss off of the fabric but a wise friend told me to,sit back, don't work on her for awhile and then go back and I did just that and now I like her. Didn't like at first the colors that was presented. I did change the perfume bottle that she is holding to beads. I have beads strung on a thread from her arms.

2008-06-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Mirabilia's Mermaids

2008-06-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Monday- June 9th,2008

2008-06-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Woke up to another dreary morning. I am getting so sick of these electrical storms. With the grey skies, I can't seem to get my engine going. I have so much to do. This friday, June 13th, my oldest daughter, Sara is graduating! She finally got her GED. I am so proud of her. I always knew she would get it one day, I think I was the only one in the family that did think that. But it doesn't matter, for I was RIGHT! LOL! Chris, Meegan and Marlee are coming up this Thursday to be there and visit with both sides of family. I can't wait! They live in Plano, Texas so I don't get to see them very often. Marlee will turn one year on July 6th! Can't believe it! But I didn't believe it when Chris and Meegan surprised us two Christmases ago, that they were expecting! They had been married for 9 yrs already and no inkling of ever having kids. I had told me friend just two days before that I didn't think Chris and Meegan were ever going to have kids. Well, you know the old saying, NEVER say NEVER!!
Chris and Meegan bought a new washer and dryer the ones that stack up one on the other,so they are bringing their washer and dryer for us! Can't wait! No more taking our wash over to my brothers to do. But with them coming up, I have to clean this house up real good!
I still have alot of mom's needlework that I brought over since she passed last February. God I miss her so much, she was my best friend. I still find myself crying every day because she is gone. Everything around me reminds me of her. They say, Time heals but I don't think so, not with my mother.
I brought over her Armouir (sp) I like it for I have my containers for my Needle Necessities on the top shelf and my DVD sets on the second shelf. I also have my plastic containers that have my knitting projects in them, I have 4 of them in there. I am a startaholic in both knitting and cross stitching. And proud of it! I can't work anymore, so needlework has kept me sane so what is the harm? There are 3 drawers and one contains my undies, one has my nightgowns and the other has my odds and ends for my needlework.
Then I have mom's old hutch, so I have all my magnetic boards in it that I use with my counted cross stitch, I put the pattern on the magnetic board with magnetic strips to keep my place. I find that is most useful to me, I don't mark off my pattern unless it is a Heaven and Earth design or a Mystic Stitch design. Plus it seems it has been a catch all for my many shawl knitalongs that I have signed up for. Plus it has my container for my needlepaints which I love to use in my cross stitching. Plus alot of other cross stitch items I use. I have a big storage container in my kitchen with 6 shelves that holds my plastic containers for each of my 28 WIP cross stitch projects that I have going on at this time. Plus my extra floss plastic containers.
I am going to work today to get some kind of order in my room. Not a small accompolishment seeing all the stuff I have to get organized LOL