Lizard Toes and A New Needle

The toes on these little guys are all bullion stitches, some of them requiring over 30 wraps!  I wanted to stitch them with one continuous stitch, but it was really awkward to do these long bullions with a regular tapestry needle.


Thanks to a random phone request, I discovered Sashiko needles, made by Clover.  Has anyone ever heard of these?

Sashiko is a form of Japanese  folk embroidery ,using a basic running stitch through several layers of fabric, to create a patterned background.  The needles are very long (over 2") and have a large oval eye.  They have a sharp point, but a few stabs are a small price to pay for being able to make these bullions long enough to curve into toes.

Lizard Stitching

While finishing the painting on a new dimensional ,I've been stitching this years Tony Minieri class project.  Lizard #1 is finished and several other lizards are filled in and waiting for background before I can add the couched outlining and finishing touches,

Changing the direction of the stitch midstream in order to "bend" with the shape seems to be Tony's lesson on this piece.  This is a technique I've never tried before and it's been a challenge, but with a little bit of creative compensating.....IT WORKS.

What can I say - Tony is a genius!!!  The stitch guide for Leapin' Lizards is available directly from Tony.

Back From the Framer for Cinco De Mayo

Just in time for a Cinco De Mayo celebration!  This is MS-2, Lupe, and the stitch guide is available from Tony Minieri.

Bathtime

                                                              EW-23

For those of you who like large Oriental designs, another canvas by Edith is now available.  "Bathtime" measures 20"x27" and is painted on #18 canvas.  A larger version, EW-19, is painted on #13 mesh and measures 27"x30".

Happy Easter

Talavera Class

Barb Starman will be teaching our #1048 Talavera Tile #1 at Family Arts Needlework on Saturday, March 31st.  This canvas measures 8x8" and is painted on #18 canvas , and can be finished as a framed pillow as shown or will fit into a Stirling tote.

Barb is an excellent stitcher, and this promises to be a fun class.  The stitch guide is a collaboration of stitches by Barb, Paulette Paquette, and the late MaryLu Leger, and will be available from Tapestry Fair after the class.

"Oldies But Goodies"

Due to a lot of requests at the January TNNA market, I decided to dig into the archives for some of the older Tapestry Fair canvases that had been pulled out of the line.  Some of the pieces date back to the 1970's, and with a few color changes and/or border additions would still work today.

I also put in a call to Edith, who was one of the founding partners of Tapestry Fair, to see if she was willing yo re-release some of her older designs.  Edith agreed, so we've gotten her pieces to add back into the line over the next few months.

The canvas pictured above, EW-30 is one of a series of three. Each is 14x14" and painted on #18 mesh.  This series didn't need any updating at all.  With decorative stitches and all the new fibers, ribbon and bling available now, this would be a fun canvas to embellish.