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.

And we're done.......................The last border is stitched and just in time for the Shining Needle Society's Mystery Class designed by Kathy Rees.   Here is the finished project, Two Cottages.

 

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.