One little, two little, three little ...

It sure didn't take me long to finish the Christmas Cracker, even with the bead application. The stitching went very quickly and I enjoyed doing it.

 Of course, with it going so fast, I am quickly depleting my stash that was brought with me.

The next project that I brought with me is one called Building Blocks for Needlepoint, a StitchPlay Design by Michael Boren and Carol Lake. This is a segmented project with each segment coming every two months for a year, starting this last summer. With this project we will be exploring new fibers and how they interplay with canvas as well as becoming familiar with the vast possibilities for application. Of course I only brought one segment with me, although I did bring an addendum that was in the Needlepoint Now magazine.

Our first segment: Here we are exploring Duchess Silk, a Gloriana, hand-dyed fiber and what a glorious fiber this is. It is soft, silky, a bit of sheen, loosely twisted, and slightly tonal. As I had chosen to received the spring color way, I received Leaf Green # TI2N382 and Sweetheart aping # T64N8292, two very pretty colors.  You can see the complete range here [http://www.glorianathreads.com/Duchess.html]. Of course, these fibers are relatively new and they don't have photos up yet of all the luscious colors but I do have a photo of sorts:  Yummy colours!

One of the problems with bringing only the required supplies is that for the next project, you don't have the correct supplies, as noted on the size of my stretcher bars:

One little ... 

   




 
The first stitch is Horizontal Parisian:


Two little ... 
      The second stitch is Milanese:

Three little swatches .... 

The third stitch is Foliage:


I am enjoying this exercise in learning. The goal is to have a notebook of stitches and fibers from which to draw on when doing your own stitch guide for canvases. The idea is that you would put the "how to" diagram as well as a description of the stitch and it's possible uses along side the stitched swatch. Like this:

So the question that comes to mind is, "Do you file according to fiber or stitch?" Another group that has a similar, but not study of fibers, just stitches, suggests putting them into plastic sheets like this:

I have some ideas as to how to do mine, but can not accomplish any of them until I return home to the US and my supplies. So I guess, once I finish the 6 blocks, they too will be put away until later. Aaaaah another UFO.