The last few days, I have been working exclusively on Windows into my Heart, a fiberart design by Ruthmarie Hofmann.
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This is an ANG Cyberworkshop 2004 project that I took at the time. After working on it for a bit I had put it aside because of so many reasons. I had received a 24- instead of a 26-count canvas and not having realized it at the time worked the project as if I had a 26-count with the result that I ended up with a much much narrower band (the one still unstitched) than I needed in order to be able to work the design as Ruthmarie had done on hers. The colors were not the original colors that I had fell in love with (some threads and beads having been discontinued). I also remember seeing at the time a photo from someone who had completed the project with the same color as the one above and I just did not like the overall look (now I am starting to think that this was probably a bad photo like I often end up taking myself). Anyway, for all those reasons, I just put the whole project aside, not really knowing at the time if I would ever complete it or not. One thing though is that this project had always stayed in my mind as the design is just so special, so recently I took it out of my UFO pile and started working on it again, first by doing the tent stitches on the far right and these past few days working on the left side of the heart by doing loads of free-form eyelets, some beading and lots and lots of french knots. The left side of the heart has been completed unless I decide to change a few things here and there, but not much, if I do.
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Threads used for this project are mainly DMC floss threads with Needle Necessities (the color used in the original had been discontinued before the company shut down), Japan gold. I don't think that I am forgetting anything here.
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Stitches used throughout the piece are Tent, French knots, Padded satin, Double cross, Square and free-form eyelets, Couched lines and some beading. There will be a gold lame fabric under the finished canvas and through all the little windows created by the big and small eyelets, you should be able to see into my heart or maybe not (grinning).
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Next step will be to finish that narrow band and when posting my next photo I will take a photo for you showing the heart box kit, the fabrics, padding and hook. For now though I need a break from it all, so I will put it aside and will come back to it a bit later.
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On another note, some of you asked me if it was still possible to get the instructions for the Shalimar project and the answer to this is YES. This project is included in a book called "Fancy Work & Fantasies" by Carol Costello. Inside the 32 page book, you will find two pillow projects, one being Shalimar (the one I have been working on) and the other one is called Saxony. If you make a Google search, you should be able to find it somewhere on the web.
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Not sure what I will be working on now, so will have a look around and decide which one I feel like stitching :-)
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Pierrette =^..^=
