Category Archives: Black Stitch

New Mini Carpet And A Boot

Woohoo! I made my deadline again. My two new patterns are now ready and waiting to go out into the world.

Merribelle’s Boot is my second blackwork design. Amazingly the stitching only took me two weeks. (But I have to confess after that it took me a while to get around to adding the beads and sequins and making it up.) This would make a great Christmas gift for that impossible to buy for person.

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This is Lower Whilborough, my new Arts & Crafts style miniature carpet. The pattern includes keys to two alternate colour choices. Although I stitched it in colours close to those in the original 1900’s design that this was based on, I think I almost prefer the red background colour way.

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Where I’m Up To

I know I’ve been quiet for a few weeks. I’ll use the excuse that I’ve been busy stitching – and I have been.

Lower Whilborough, my next Arts & Crafts style miniature carpet, just needs washing and stretching into shape before I can photograph it. And my next blackwork piece, the elf shoe Christmas stocking, has just been lined and ElfLWstitched together but I don’t know what I’m going to call it yet. I’m still waiting for inspiration to strike. Then there’s the boring “post production” bits to do but all going well these two designs should be ready to roll by July.

Of course I’ve already started stitching the next thing. A rather exciting (I think) new addition to BrightSea Village. Stitching this is like doing a jigsaw. When I know it’s time to put it away I still want to do just one more piece. I won’t give what it is away yet but I will give you one little hint to chew on: it has a horse in it.

 

Ready For A New Start

I’ve finished stitching my new BrightSea Village house and just finished putting it together this morning. It still has to be photographed and the pattern has to be made ready to print. I’m hoping (touch wood) to have it ready to release by April, along with 221B, my new mini carpet.

I have already started stitching my next project. I enjoyed making my blackwork frog, Fauntleroy, so much that I’ve designed another blackwork project. I don’t really know why, but even though I’m stitching it in bright colours it’s still called “black”work. Here are my cottons and fabric just before I leapt in and started stitching.ASFHrlSkg

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I hope you all are enjoying the festive season with people you love.

It’s taken a while but I’m finally releasing my latest three designs: Te Mata Peak (miniature carpet), BrightSea Village’s School House and my first blackwork design, Fauntleroy Frog.

After being a bit jaded with stitching when I took on too much my love of needlework has returned and I’m now halfway through my next miniature carpet – a small Oriental style called 221B – and keenly looking forward to starting the next BrightSea Village project. Herse’s a hint: it’s a little bit spooky.

I’ve also had a burst of inspiration and have lots of new design ideas. If only I had more time to stitch them all up.

Wishing you all good things and happy surprises in the year ahead.BSV School Frog TeM

Lesson Learned

I should have known I’d get in trouble if I broke the rules. I just couldn’t resist the temptation of trying to work on two projects at a time and now I find it’s just slowed me down. I’m just not a multi-tasker. I need to concentrate on one thing at a time. Lesson learned!

So I’m about a third of the way through BrightSea Village’s schoolhouse and three quarters of the way through Fauntleroy Frog. If I’d stuck to doing just one at a time I’m pretty sure I would have been finished both by now. (Sigh.)MMLesson Learnt