Mint with a Twist is finished...........................It's a stitching miracle, I finished the design in two days.  It helps that I had already stitched this design once so I was familiar with it and I didn't choose any cotton floss or stranded silk so no laying of threads.

Hopefully you can see how I rotated the orange square 180 degrees to create a different design.  The last row of the design is a series of small squares and even with two sections rotated you can follow the small squares all around the design.

 

I really like the contrast of the orange colors I choose. The camera washes out how vibrant the oranges really are.

 

In hindsight I wish I had chosen a Perle Cotton that had more contrast, the camera picks up on the pinks but in person the red squares are really red.  The pinks don't show as much in person.

 

Next project is another one of Kathy Rees' designs called Cobalt.  Tune in tomorrow for a look at the progress.

Starting the border.........................With the grass and sky finished it was time to start the border.  The first border is a Gobelin stitch over 2 threads.  The next border are arrows pointing sideways, I'm sure there is a name for this stitch but I don't know what it is.  The finish line is drawing close on this project.

The Mystery Class begins on April 1, I can't wait.  I will take a photo of the all the threads that will be used for the design and show those and the design layout.  However since it is a Mystery Class I do not know what the design looks like so it will be a surprise for all of us.

And then there was grass......................I finished the sidewalk, stitched the grass and added the sky.  the design is really taking shape now.  Next is a slanted Gobelin border over 2 threads.

Two Cottages and a tree......................I stitched the right hand cottage and completed the left hand cottage.  Moving right along with the sidewalk between the two cottages.  Next will be the grass and sky,

 

One Cottage and a Tree......................I began stitching the tree since it is in the center and the instructions say to start with the tree. 

 

 

Next I had to choose which cottage to begin with so I choose the left cottage.  I need to add the shutters, window and hedge to finish this cottage.

 

 

This photo shows the progress so far.

 

 

More stitching tomorrow, maybe start the right hand cottage.

The new project is...........Two Cottages designed by Nancy Buhl of From Nancy's Needle.  Nancy has a whole series to Two's, meaning two of something, barns, houses etc.  I've looked at the series for the past 3 years but had not purchased one of the designs until now.

Nancy sells the design or all the pieces to make a kit.  The Two's can be purchased with the threads needed to stitch the design or whole skeins.  I found Two Cottages on EBAY as a kit with just the threads needed to stitch the design.  It is amazing how little thread it takes to actually stitch this design. The threads all came labeled and in individual bags.

 

The design is 4" X 8" when finished so it should stitch up quickly.  I have not done a design like this, usually they are geometric or quilt designs.  This should be fun.  The very first counted needlepoint design I stitched was one of Nancy's designs, Summer Sunburst. I bought the design on EBAY and then made my first trip to Needle Nook of La Jolla to purchase the threads needed for the design.  I had previously been to small needlework shops so I had no idea what a treat I was in store for.  I went into the thread gallery and it is floor to ceiling threads of all types and kinds.  I was recently in the shop and spent $275.00 on threads for three designs, a kid in a candy store for sure.