Monday, August 11, 2008

The Morning After & another Brillante Award


I have managed to do a little more stitching on "The Morning After" since my first post . I have to say that I have not been stitching all that much recently. I guess we all have times like that when things are just not quite right, just not feeling all that hot, but that always goes away, eventually.
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Since my last post, I have done a few sections of the wallpaper, enough I think to make it possible for you to see the two different motifs. The red and green vertical lines are slanted gobelin stitches using simply DMC floss threads. Between those vertical lines, you have a red design on a white background, using DMC threads again and stitched with continental and/or basketweave. In the section of the wallpaper that is all white, a Nobuko stitch has been used. In that section, I still have to stitch the calendar and of course the rest of the wallpaper. Oh, almost forgot, done the baseboard in slanted gobelin, using again the same winter white floss. Anne had used a DMC Perle #5 instead on hers. You can see it on Anne's website. I had two reasons for doing so. Since I changed my white for a winter white, then I would have needed some winter white DMC perle #5, which I did not have and did not want to bother ordering some as I order everything online and I also just prefer the look that the floss gives me over the Perle #5 for something like a baseboard, so why bother ordering any? Stitching is really all about our own preferences, isn't it?
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I stitched the legs of the chair using slanted gobelin with a brown DMC Perle #5. I then proceeded to work on the footstool, using 3 different colors, winter white, red and green, using the continental for the stripes and a mosaic stitch for the white areas.
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I then worked the boots, using a black Petite Very Velvet doing a simple continental stitch and to separate the two boots there is a line of continental stitches using a dark grey DMC floss.
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Some of you might be wondering why I have not done Santa's socks nor his sweater so far and also let's not forget his suspenders. Two reasons for that. I am waiting for the threads for the socks. For Santa's sweater I just did not know if I wanted to use a different color or not, but I am finding it very difficult to do so as I have that green chair on which he is sitting, so a green sweater is kind of out of the question and then I have his red pants, which would make it difficult to distinguish between the top and the bottom if I were to use red. I also do not want to use white white as it would make his beard appear kind of dirty (and that is the last thing I want, a dirty looking Santa) because I used some winter white instead of the white that Anne used on hers. I more or less trapped myself into that one, haven't I? Any ideas, anyone?
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Oh yes, I have done the flooring, most of it anyway using a light tan DMC Perle #5 with a slanted Gobelin stripe. I am waiting for some threads to stitch the carpet. Have a few options here that I am now contemplating so when the threads come in, will see which one looks the best and will proceed. I will then finish the flooring that still remains to be stitched in front of the carpet.
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Sometimes when you make just a minor change in color or design, you find that you have to make lots of little adjustments along the way.


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I had the honor to receive a third Brillante Weblog award from Pat at the end of July, the two previous ones from Rengin and Laura and to my great shame I have not yet given it back to anyone, but will remedy this situation right away :-)
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As everyone who has ever received some Awards, it is extremely difficult to choose a few out of many wonderful blogs that are out there and we all know that we tend to gravitate around blocks that means the most to us, whether it is because the bloggers are talking about similar projects to our own, or techniques that we are really interested in or are simply giving us lots of wonderful information. Having said that here goes my list of seven. Before I do so, please refer to Pat's wonderful blog for the rules of this Award .
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My first two selections out of seven have to go to two blogs that I follow very closely because they give me such wonderful information about our needlepoint world:
Janet's blog called Nuts about Needlepoint and Jane's blog called Chilly Holly Needlepoint Adventure. I checked them both out on a regular basis in order to find out what is happening and also what they are both up to.
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Then it really gets difficult and I am sorry for those that I can't add to my list here as I visit many many blogs as many times each week as I possibly can. Here it goes without any consideration to order they are listed:
Pat's blog called Needleartnut, Laura's blog called Two-Handed Stitcher, Carol's blog called Threads across the web, Judy's blog called Possibilities, etc. and the final one Cyn's blog called Cyn Stitches. I could easily have gone on as I also enjoy reading so many other blogs.
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Again, a big thank you to everyone who has given me an Award as it makes anyone's day a little more special, doesn't it?
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Better go back to my stitching now. See you all soon :-)
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Pierrette =^..^=

14 comments:

Terry said...

He is coming along beautifully and I wonder if a different red for his sweater would solve the problem, he looks really comfortable in his big high backed armchair and resting after his busy night out.

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

Thanks for the award, Pierette. I am blushing!

As for Santa's shirt, if you can stand more red and white and green, why not give him a plaid shirt? That would stand out against the green chair. Or maybe he's in his white long john shirt.

I like to think what my person is wearing to give me a clue how to stitch it.

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Terry,

Santa is absolutely exhausted and will probably be sleeping part of the day :-)

Pierrette =^..^=

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Jane,

That is an excellent suggestion, to make him wear a plaid shirt.

Will give it some thoughts, for sure.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Pierrette =^..^=

Anne Stradal said...

Hope you get your threads soon, Pierrette! I think his feet are getting cold! LOL

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Anne,

I know and how inconsiderate of me for letting this dear old man stay without any socks for such a long time and maybe catch a cold because of it :-(

If he does, I will never ever forgive myself (lol)

Pierrette =^..^=

Gina E. said...

This is such a cute design, Pierrette, whatever you do will be just right, I'm sure! I could lose myself in your blog. As well as your own work, the links to other sites are just mind blowing. One day I will sit at my computer and dedicate the whole day just to checking every single one of them. Your blog is really one of the best stitching blogs around, when it comes to sourcing useful information - many thanks!

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Gina,

You have just made my day with your wonderful comments :-)

Thank you so very much for stopping by my blog and sharing your thoughts with me.

Pierrette =^..^=

NCPat said...

Pierette: Thanks for the award as well! I agree his shirt should be plaid. He is home from a long night, and is settled in for a snooze in a comfy flannel shirt!
He is so pleased with himself, so cute!

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Hi Pat,

I greatly appreciate all the feedback I am getting about Santa's shirt. It has given me some wonderful options that I had not considered before.

Pierrette =^..^=

Cyn said...

Hi Pierrette,

I've read all of the other comments and I have one or two more ideas/thoughts.

I "see" Santa sitting in his long underwear shirt or in his dress shirt (he's removed his formal jacket and coat) after a hard night delivering presents around the world.

You can stitch his shirt in a darker white than what you used on his beard. This will help his beard appear whiter. Long underwear is made in many different colors including flowers and patterns for the ladies so how about a shirt in a very dark red or a very dark green or even a gray so that it looks different than the chair or his pants. How about a diagonal mosaic so it looks like the waffle pattern on long underwear?

Now if he is a very elegant Santa he might be wearing a silk or a fine fabric long underwear shirt or a dress shirt because Santa would deserve the best! :-)

You might want to try a cream/beige or the other colors in a silky finish. Think of women's Cuddle Duds for the type of finish I'm thinking of. :-)

I also like the suggestion about the plaid but I'd try it out as it might look too busy against the other stripes and patterns you have in this piece. Especially since you are stitching Santa's underwear/shirt not exactly an item that we want to have a lot of attention as Mrs. Claus might be horrified that Mr. Claus is sitting around in his underwear!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Possibilities, Etc. said...

Be careful with doing a plaid shirt - his footstool is plaid. I anxiously await his socks - I'm sure he does too.

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Cyn,

Thanks for all your suggestions. You have certainly given me a lot to think about.

Pierrette =^..^=

Love to Stitch 99 said...

Judy,

That is the reason, I feel myself so boxed in right now. My options are relatively limited at this point unless I were to undo the footstool and stitch it in one color. Then, I have the carpet under to think about.

Decisions, decisions :-)

Pierrette =^..^=