Hide N Seek progress.......................I'm going to complain once again about laying Cotton floss or silk for that matter.  It is time consuming and not my favorite part of stitching.  I started the fourth diamond in the center and extended the checkerboard border.  This will be a very colorful design when completed.  I will post my next update on Friday, hopefully have more progress to show then.

 

 

Hide N Seek progress.....................I have more progress on Hide N Seek to show.  The laying of the Cotton floss is very time consuming, if I had been thinking I would have substituted Perle Cotton for all the Cotton floss and would be able to really jam through the project.

I'm always excited to start a new project and then I want to finish it so I can get to the next one.  Having so many counted canvas designs kitted up and waiting I could stitch the next couple of years without having to buy anything, not likely to happen.  Just recently I got 3 Dakota Rogers designs that will really be interesting to stitch.  Once Hide N Seek is finished I might pull thread for one of the Dakota Rogers designs, they're really different from what I usually stitch.

 

 

Hide N Seek has begun.....................This is the start of the new project Hide N Seek by Laura J. Perin.  The design calls for several different colors of Cotton Floss which have to be layed.  Because I have to lay the stitches my progress is much slower so I will not post every day as I will not have as much to show.  I usually stitch fairly quickly however laying stitches slows me down and as a result the progress I show you is not that much each day.  Posting every other day for the duration of this project will hopefully show more progress and keep you from getting bored.

The very center is stitched with Caron Watercolour Cranberry and the green is Perle Cotton.  The two shades of orange are floss and that is what takes the longest to stitch.

Mystery Class - Area 6.............Area 6 is now finished and that's the end of the first lesson.  The center of the design is stitched with Vineyard Silk and Very Petite Velvet.  The contrast of threads looks really good in person, gives nice texture.  Well that's all for this month, I have to wait to May 1st for Lesson 2.

 

The new project is Color Study:  Hide N Seek by Laura J. Perin.  I received this pattern for Christmas 2014 so it's about time to stitch it.  I am drawn to earthtones and also bright colors, not so much the cooler color palettes.

 

Hide N Seek is stitched with a variety of Cotton Floss, Perle Cotton and 1 Caron Watercolour.  I spent my stitching time today cutting a piece of canvas, taping the edges, marking the center and mounting it on a frame.  Next I wound the floss on cardboard bobbins to prepare for stitching.  I always prepare the threads before starting a project.  The Watercolour and Perle Cotton skeins were cut and threaded onto Twitchetts then put on a binder ring.  This just helps organize the threads and keeps them from becoming a mess.

Area 4, 5 and 6..................I finished Area 4, the center thread does not contrast very much with the one on either side.  The overdyed color is subtle so it doesn't really stand out.  Some of the other colorways show more contrast.

 

Area 5 is a disappointment, the border is stitched with Perle cotton and Vineyard Silk however they are almost the same color so you can't tell they are different threads.  The center of the design is Waterlilies Silk and again the color is almost the same as the border.  Other colorways show a real contrast between the border and center.  Once the design is finished I will probably go and rip out the center design and replace it with something else in a contrasting color.

 

 

I began Area 6 today and is a border of Rhodes stitches in Gloriana Princess Perle Silk.  Princess Perle is a challenge to work with as it is very springy and at times seems alive.  Once you cut into the skein look out because it is all over the place.  I had a tangled mess to unravel and then cut into 1 yard lengths.  The color variation in the thread is very subtle so you really don't notice the color change.

 

If all goes to plan I will finish Area 6 tomorrow and then wait until May 1st for the next lesson and patterns.  The waiting is going to be difficult.  In the mean time I will start a new project, the question is what.  I'll get out all the kitted designs and see what inspires me or I may create my own design.  Tune in on Thursday to see what I've selected.

Mystery Class - First Lesson.........................The long awaited moment has arrived and the first lesson of the mystery class is available.  There are 35 areas in the design and each one has a different pattern.  The first photo shows my progress so far.

 

This is Area 1 which is stitched with a Watercolours borders that includes Very Petite Velvet crosses in the center of the boxes.  The center design is stitched in Vineyard silks, which of by the way are a joy to stitch with.

 

Area 2 has an interesting border of long arm crosses that when stitched looks like a woven braid, it is in Watercolours.  The center design is Vineyard Silk and Frosty Rays.

 

Area 3 is only a striped border so far, it is stitched in Vineyard Silks.  The center section is included in another lesson.  Kathy did indicate that the main design in this area is a Walneto stitch.

 

This photo is Area 4 which is still in progress.  The border is stitched in Watercolours and the lattice background is stitched with Petite Sparkle Rays.  The center section is stitched in Vineyard Silks and Watercolours.

 

  Lesson 1 includes Areas 5 and 6 also which I will work on and should be finished by Wednesday.

 

Curios Mystery Class has begun.........It's April 1st and the first lesson for the Shining Needles Society Mystery Class is now available.  I thought I would show the 25 threads that are used in the project.

 

This photo shows all the threads, Caron Watercolours, Vineyard Silk, Gloriana Silks, Waterlilies, Perle Cotton, and an assortment of Rainbow Gallery threads.

 

 

 

This photo shows Petite Very Velvet, Silk Lame Braid, Frosty Rays, Neon Rays, Petite Sparkle Rays, Spendors and Sparkling Neon Rays.  A total of 10 different Rainbow Gallery threads.

 

 

Here are 2 Perle Cottons, 1 Gloriana Silk Princess Perle, 1 Gloriana Duchess Silk and 1 Waterlilies.

These are the Caron Watercolours, Prickly Pear, Turmeric, Seaweed, Willow and Chardonnay.

 

Now are the Vineyard Silks.

 

This shot shows all the skeins opened and sorted on Twitchetts.  Twitchetts are the best for any stitching project.  It is so easy to sort, separate and handle your threads.  Can you tell I love them.  You can find Twitchetts on Terry's Dryden's website, try them and you will be hooked.  Tomorrow I will show the start of the design for this month.