a date with the queen

no, not this grumpy lady in her peach fascinator...

this lady!

we have been spending some quality time together since sunday night...she's my olympic watching partner

i finished up the pavilion diamonds in very velvet for the lining of her coat, then backstitched the outlines in krenik 

another view

then i started on her scepter and gold accouterments...i was mildly distracted by the swimming and gymnastics, but i managed to complete the two jessicas before turning in for the night

also added the last finishing touches on her face, she now has eyebrows and lashes

i'm on the hunt for two majestic looking rubies to go in the middle of those jessicas...any suggestions?

a note on basketweave...

happy monday! we had a great weekend touring the city, but i'm ready to get back to my routine 

(translation: stitching)

but first, a little note on basketweave...

as the needlepoint discipline grows and we continue to learn new methods and new tricks, i wanted to reflect on my ornaments that are in basketweave.

sure, looking back there are "i should of"s" and "if only's"...if only i would have known to scotch stitch the scarf. i should have used fuzzy stuff or flair for the snow. if only i had padded his earmuffs. 

but i look back on the first ornaments i ever did and i'm proud of myself. i'm proud that i've come such a long way. that i've pushed myself to constantly be learning from the experienced stitchers in our community. to never settle if i see room for improvement. 

literally the first ornament i ever did. i thought i was hot stuff by adding french knots to his beard! haha

while yes, there are those fleeting thoughts of "i wish i would have done fur on the coat's trim", and so on, i look at my first two petei santas with love. i remember my first class and my first teacher and how she told me i picked it up so quickly.

i laugh at my green naivety, thinking that i was at the pinnacle of all things needlepoint because i could basketweave, not even knowing that there were infinite stitches and methods out there. 

but then i taught myself the mosaic stitch after studying a finished ornament and wondering "how did she do that?" 

and then i got a little more confidence and said "hey, why not beads?" and i was hooked. and i haven't looked back. 

back from the finisher

by now you know my extensive love of carol dupree canvases, and here's a little friend back from the finisher!

stitch guide by diana johnson at garden district needlework shop. i love the kalem stitch on his sweater and the stitches for his mustache and beard. these are such quick projects to do and so easy to take with you when traveling. 

have a great weekend! my grandmother is coming in town to visit so we'll be busy seeing all the sites!

seriously...there's more?!

is there some sort of stitchers anonymous meetings that i can attend? 

cricket's stocking, the bold painted areas will lend themselves for some decorative stitches!

who doesn't love carol dupree? her santas are so precious, and this one will be an easy stitch.
boomer sooner!

carol dupree sorority angel

fabulous carol dupree tcu candy cane. colleen has ordered an oklahoma one for me as well. for my parent's ornaments next year i'd like to do 3 of these candy canes for our family's schools. (my brother and i went to oklahoma, my sister went to texas, and my parents went to tcu).

ornament i got at geez leweez while vacationing in sanibel. i may switch some of the colors, but it's a fun memento to commemorate our time there every summer.

got this beautiful kathryn molineux canvas for $10 on ebay! it's extremely hard to find australian shepherds in needlepoint, they're not one of the more popular breeds to paint. so when i saw this i jumped. while i go back and forth on how to finish it (ornament or stand-up), i think it will be a fun project with lots of furry stuff!

hello my name is katherine and i am a stitch-a-holic...

stash chat - kits

these are all the kits i have with stitch guides and thread suggestions. i love being challenged via stitch guides, it forces me to break out and try something different. they also teach me how to really look at a blank canvas and take my time selecting the perfect stitches. 

princess and me "katy pig". i love princess and me ornaments and their stitch guides are always so perfect. 

princess and me "crab salad". i'm a sucker for stripes, and the crab will always be a fun reminder of my life in new orleans.

raymond crawford heart. i die for this canvas. absolutely die. it has everything i love. mackenzie childs-esque harlequin checks and a beautiful bow. i would like to get about 5 more of this exact one and put them on a garland to tie in with my mackenzie childs themed christmas tree. 

raymond crawford bone. going to put cricket's name in the middle!

one of annie's fabulous new orleans themed ornament kits of our famous water meter covers. she has so many that i would still love to purchase! 

stash chat - & more

in an attempt to keep myself honest and accountable for the items in my stitching stash, i will be posting all my treasures throughout the week. today i'd like to showcase my & more canvases. 

i love this tcu themed canvas and see it being finished into a fun tray, great for gameday snacks in the fall. 

a few halloween canvases with stitch guides by amy. i would love to somehow work the "boo" into the middle of a festive wreath, and make a pillow out of the longer one. 

i also see this as a pillow. i love & more's simple stripes and fantastic lettering. they also capture my heart in the fact that they don't do capital letters either! 

while most of these are more long-term projects, i would like to start on at least one this year. in keeping with the pace i've created with my stocking, i'd like to continue doing little projects with one big project in the mix at a time. 

look for more tomorrow!

diy monday

i've had the materials to make this precious diy mail organizer that i found on this blog, and i finally made up my mind to make it last night! i've been wanting to find a cute way to hold files for long-term projects at my office, and this one spoke to me. 

i found this great heather bailey fabric online, the canvas from michael's, and the fun pom pom trim from etsy. 

i purposely chose fabric/trim that would also look well in our house should i choose to move it later. this was such a quick project, and it was fun to use a needle and make something different! a nice change of pace. 

i have my family coming in town this weekend for a quick visit, so i'll be cleaning the house and preparing for their arrival this week! 

hope you had a great weekend!

oh hey stash!

what's that stash? you want a new friend?

well BAM!

look what i bought today and completely threw off the delicate and fragile ecosystem also known as my stash. ..

i'm in leurve with the topiaries, gumdrops and the fab roof!

texas bound tomorrow!

progress picked up during the technicolor lightning storm we had last night. i love stitching when it's raining outside, it sets a nice rhythm. 

started on her two-tone fur coat lining in very velvet. it's hard to see the pattern (pavillion diamonds) but once i do the back stitching in krenik, it will be more noticeable. 

the stitch is great because you can cover so much ground in a short period of time, and i love running my fingers over the velvet. but this thread is a b*$^# with dog hair and the cut turkey work on the coat.

next week i have family coming to visit me so stitching will be a distant memory, but i do have some fun posts lined up!

needlepoint vault

there's a new knitting and needlepoint store in new orleans opening today called the needlepoint vault!

hours will be wednesday through saturday from 10 to 4. one of the owners, annie, is an exquisite painter and also does precious new orleans themed ornament kits. 

i'm so excited to have another resource close to home and can't wait to pay them a visit!

progress is coming along on the third tote bag, i was derailed this week after seeing "magic mike". 

oh sweet baby jesus that is a movie that every lady needs to see! 

another finish!

i'm happy to report that the second tote bag was completed last night while watching "to catch a predator". quality programming i tell ya. 

i'm going to go back and add in a few stitches to the edge on the top right corner to fill it out, but this still qualifies as a finish in my book!

progress also continues on francesca. i completed all the purple areas (including crown and shoes) and then followed up with the navy blue outline around the edges. next up is the lining to her fur coat and starting on the gold work. 

i know it doesn't look like much, but i like getting all the small details out of the way so i can start on the really fun stuff. 

i bought some fun beads for her dress and the poinsettias and can't wait to start the velvet lining of her coat. moving right along!

hope you had a wonderful weekend. we are deep in the throws of hurricane season here, so it's been raining non-stop followed by steamy humidity. yum.

progress continues

but instead of showing you a picture of where i stopped last night i'd rather work through the weekend and show a totally awesome and better one on monday! 

my goal, in addition to working on the lady, is to finish another tote bag by monday.

hope everyone has a great weekend! me? i'm off at 4 pm for happy hour at the columns hotel...a perfect way to end the work week in new orleans!

the columns is a giant antebellum home that was turned into a hotel that sits right on st. charles avenue. 

if it looks familiar, it's because "pretty baby" starring brooke shields as a prosti-tot was filmed here.

sidebar....that circular tufted stool is part of the bar and is my fave place to sit

have a great weekend!

chugging along....

the dressmaker is in business! i finished up the bustle and moved on to the bodice. i used the horizontal brick (over 4) on frederick as well, but i love how it has a different effect on her and accentuates her ladylike waistline. it almost looks like she's wearing a corset, an added bonus! i'm not worried about the gold paint showing through because i'll be going over that with beads. duh.

i'm determined to complete the bodice and put up my purple thread tonight! i got sidetracked last night while simultaneously stitching and watching "sex & the city" re-runs on E! it's one of those shows that i always love to watch even though i've seen every episode a million trillion times. 

tried to get a closer pic. i'm really excited with how it's starting to take shape and come to life!

thank you all for your sweet comments and enthusiasm, i love having an online stitching community to bounce ideas off of who will geek out over needlepoint just like me! 

stitch snob?

lately i've been reflecting on my stitching goals for the year, and perusing through my stash to make sure everything is on the list and accounted for. after years of faithfully reading all my favorite needlepoint blogs in the community, i've come to the realization that i may be a bit of a stitch snob!

while i have never denied myself of purchasing the canvas and threads my heart so desires, at the same time i keep in mind that by purchasing said canvas and thread means that it will be completed and finished. no question. as everyone is acutely aware, this is not a cheap hobby. while it gives me joy and instant gratification to see what my hands can create, it is not a hobby for impulse shoppers or those who can't finish a project. 

after reading everyone's blogs and salivating over your beautiful work, it has made me reflect on my own stitching habits and how careful i am to purchase big projects, or any canvas that could throw my stash off course. i have a set needlepoint "life plan" if you will, and i intend to stick to it.

i don't want to be the crazy stitch lady that has a million frames and pillows everywhere. where our dining room chairs are all covered in basket-woven seats. where visitors are not allowed to sit near or touch anything because heaven forbid the thread comes in contact with a human being. i made it clear that my stitching was primarily for holidays, gifts, and maybe a few scattered projects here and there. 

i envy other stitchers that can pick up a blank painted canvas, not entirely sure of what it is going to become, and just stitch without abandon. my type-A controlling nature always manifests itself  through my stitching, in that i always need to have a finishing plan for my canvas. 

really i think what makes me a stitch snob is my taste in projects. i run away from primitive, folksy pieces and head screaming for the hills from geometric contemporary canvas. i have my set favorite designers and style, and i stick to them. i try and think about how the canvas will look in 15 years, will it be completely out of style and outdated? 

i've come to terms with the fact that i am a stitch snob, or a stitch bitch. but i like it that way. i may not be the most adventurous stitcher that goes out of her comfort zone with different canvases and designers, and that's ok. i'm content knowing that each and every stitched piece in our home was made with 100% love and no second-guessing. 

le family sampler

so back in november, i completed the little house needleworks family sampler as a christmas surprise for my parents. while i was back in texas a few weeks ago i took some quick pictures of it - frame and all, and sent them off to diane. 

diane responded with lightning speed letting me know the picture is now up on the website! eeek!

this little piggy

...is on its way to memphis where amy and her girls are going to provide stitch and thread selections! i purchased this beautiful patti mann ornament almost a year ago and immediately knew i wanted amy's expertise in selecting stitches and threads. there is so much potential and i can't wait to see what the golden strand girls come up with! 

the verdict on francesca's bustle? (yes, i named her this weekend) it's a yes! i finished up the right side before the weekend and after my thread-extravaganza at the lns, i'm ready to continue on the rest of her! i picked up some really amazing ideas for her dress and am itching to put them to use.

1 down, 5 to go! i finished up the first of the linda lahm tote bags on saturday. of course my eye is drawn to the area where i had to tent stitch around the name, but i'm pretty happy with how it turned out. even though it's a small area and there's not a lot of room for decorative stitches, i tried to make it as fun as it would let me! i padded and stitched the beach ball with neon rays to give it the shiny plastic look, then added memory thread for the bucket's handle. i really enjoyed working the background in the brick stitch, sometimes getting back to basics gives you the most beautiful results! 

i'm plugging along on my next tote, and will switch off between those and my stocking. it's a really nice medley and i'm super motivated with so many different projects going on simultaneously!

moving right along

tomorrow is my weekend trip to my lns for threads and beads and i can't wait! i worked a little more on me lady, adding the petite very velvet for her "nutcracker" mouth.

i love how dainty and ladylike she looks. it's such a different experience from stitching the dude with all the manly facial hair. i also auditioned some stitches for the bustle of her dress. 

i knew i wanted to do something diagonal to accentuate the shape of the dress. i'm going to finish the right side and see how i feel. i like the movement it shows, so we'll see what the weekend brings!

a different angle.

my stitching buddy. clearly she's enthralled. how can that be comfortable?!?