Monday, May 5, 2008

Canvas of the Month – October, 2004 -- March 5, 2008


In 2004, the Stitching Post in Catonsville, Maryland offered a canvas of the month club. I purchased many of these canvases in 2004 but they were lost in my stash. I’ve found several of them as I’ve been reorganizing my stash. By the way, my goal is to go through at least one storage (40 – 60 gallon) container every month and so far I’m meeting that goal!

The first in the 2004 club that I have stitched is the October, 2004 canvas “Hearts for the Holidays” which was designed by Joan Lohr for Rainbow Gallery. I finished this design this weekend so technically it was finished in March, 2008. Not bad for a four year old UFO! I just noticed that the January, 2008 canvas is also by Joan Lohr!

I am also working on the February, 2008 Canvas of the Month club project which is “Christmas Fantasy” by David McCaskill which I hope to finish this weekend. It just depends on how busy I am this weekend, especially since I’ll be working on Sunday.

I’m also almost done with the Candy Swirl Santa’s face. He just needs his eyebrows so I should hopefully have his face done this weekend and I’ll be able to share a new picture next week.

Yes, I know, I work on multiple projects at one time. This works very well for me as I like to have at least two to three active projects at any one time especially if I’m picking out fibers and stitches for a painted canvas project. I can work on something else while I’m letting my creative brain decide how to stitch a certain section. The other advantage is that since I’m still working full-time and raising children there are some nights where I am more tired than others and I can pick the project that works for me at that moment!

This design is stitched on Victorian Green 18 count mono canvas. The design consists of two Rhodes hearts stitched in Petite Frosty Rays. The other two Rhodes hearts are stitched in Petite Sparkle Rays. The Double Straight Crosses are stitched in Crystal Braid.

This was a fun design to stitch but it does take a while to stitch each of the Rhodes hearts as you need to make sure that the fibers are carefully laid flat. The Double Straight Crosses worked up very quickly.

I keep thinking that I need to keep a stitching log so that I can document how long it takes me to stitch each piece. This has been a stitching resolution for several years but it doesn’t work for me as I’m usually stitching at the dining room table and the family stops by and talks to me as I’m stitching. I’m not complaining but it does make it hard to keep track of the time that I spend stitching!

This project was a lot of fun and it was interesting to see how the two fibers worked up in the Rhodes hearts. There is a lot of dimension with the hearts which I don’t think shows up as well in the photo as it does in person. I’ll probably finish this design as an ornament. As I’m organizing my stash I’m finding many of the pieces that I’ve stitched over the years that I have finished stitching but which I haven’t finished into something. The fun for me is in the stitching and I haven’t taken the time to decide how to finish many of the pieces that I’ve stitched. This is one of my new resolutions. To actually frame or have my finished stitched pieces made into something. I’ll let you know how I do!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- Good luck getting things finished. I saw two 4 foot artifical Christmas trees displaying ornaments at Woodlawn yesterday and they were charming! You should think about using your small pieces this way. This one is sort of Valentine's Day but it is red and that is a very Christmas color!Way to go, Cynthia.
Jane of Chilly Hollow

-I like this and it would be a great Ornament, box cover, pincushion on a stand, part of a collage of small ornaments.....does that help? LOL Nice job! And, I wish I could say I sorted through a container a month! I always run out of time!
NC Pat – Needleart Nut

- Thanks for all of the finishing suggestions. I actually know what I can finish my different projects into... My comment was that I wasn't exactly sure what I would finish this particular project into! I actually enjoy the stitching process more than the finishing process. That's why I send most of my projects out to be finished. I rather be stitching! :-)

Thanks guys for all of the suggestions.

And yes, the organizing is continuing!

More on the trees in the next post.

Cynthia

Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: March 5, 2008

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