If it ain't cross stitch...

The chances of a finish are much higher!!

This is called Her Majesty's Glove and it is from Fine Lines magazine, Vol.3,Number 2, from Fall of 1998.

Her Majesty's Glove by Nostalgic Needle, 32 ct cream linen using DMC.

It is supposed to be finished as a scissors case, but I chose to applique it to a piece of linen, and then I am going to frame it into a shadow box, just as soon as I find the right one! The hand part of the glove is ultra suede. The big flower and leaves are needle lace, also called detached buttonhole. A fun technique once you figure it out! The top middle flower is made up of queen stitches.

Next we have the stumpwork piece. This was really fun, and I am definitely going to do more of this technique! Imagine, something with the beauty and fine quality of cross stitch, but FAST! Yay! I'm im love!

Beetle and Berry by The Floss Box

I really enjoyed all of the different types of stitches. the berries are french knots and beads. The leaves are leaf stitch-which is a type of herringbone stitch. The lavendar sprays along the sides are bouillon knots using a blended needle with purple and green-so pretty! It also has stem, chain, satin  and feather stitches. I loved it!

I'm afraid my snail there looks a little bit like a blob. My hubby asked me what it was...?

 But practice makes perfect and I plan to make many more of these type of pieces! 

In fact I ordered Jane Nicholas' book on stumpwork, 

Stumpwork Embroidery: A Collection of Fruits & Insects for Contemporary Raised Embroidery

which I think will come tomorrow Gotta love that Amazon prime!

 And finally, I came across this freebie on Laura J. Perin's blog. I had a piece of canvas sitting around so I worked this up in literally a day. It was really fun and something different.(for me)

Bluebells by Laura J. Perin

So thats what I've been up to, in between stitching a new cross stitch pattern model.

Thanks for stopping by!

xx

~Annie 

Faith and the fickle heart!

If this blog has any purpose, it is to remind me of where I am supposed to be focusing my energies. Ha!

Her Majesty's Glove designed by Nostalgic Needle

 

One of my goals for 2013 was to focus my energies on embroidery.

I fell into an apathetic hole from the end of 2011 until October of 2012 and barely picked up a needle, unless forced to for commissions and such.

Granted 2012 was the "Year of the Wedding" which was all-consuming and incredibly stressful. 

ABC123 by Annie Beez Folk Art new design

 

But who am I kidding. 

When it comes to the arts, my heart is FICKLE!

I have lamented this fact many times over the years on this very blog!

ANY type of art can turn my head and then I am running after it with the reckless abandon of a co-ed in the springtime!

Bluebells free design by Laura J. Perin

 In my defense(and I cling to this pathetically) I have just published 2 cross stitch designs, one of which is the last chart in a series which has only taken me 2 years to release!(my extreme apologies to those who have been stitching this series!)

And I am writing an article for Prims magazine that will accompany an oil painted doll they will be featuring. So not a complete slacker!

3 dimensional bird design in surface embroidery by Annie Beez Folk Art

But, even though my focus is embroidery, I now have no less than 7 embroidery projects in the works. These are projects out on my work desk or set up in various frames in my studio.

Beetle and Berry Stumpwork Embroidery by The Floss Box

 

 This does not include WIPs or UFOs, obviously!

Only 1 is cross stitch. 

At least the rest are embroidery,

(even though I can hear my watercolors calling me and I am pretending not to hear!)

So I am boldly calling this Focused Fickleness!

 And I am keeping the faith that, as Mrs. Haynes(my daughter) said, God made you this way for a reason. So the reason must be that all of this exploring adds to my development as an artist, right? 

That sounds good, I'm going with it!

I'm not a 1 book at a time reader either!

Do any of you have trouble seeing a project through to the end?

 Or are you one of those 1 project at a time stitchers? 

(I envy you!)

XX

~Annie

Give Away Winner!!!

Such Friendship by Annie Beez Folk Art

Here are the results from the Random Number Generator:

1. TerriBoog
2. Gayle
3. Mary
4. Cindy
5. Katrina
6. Vickie
7. Margaret
8. Barbaral
9. Kate
10. barbara
11. Ellen
12. Lynda Ruth
13. Deb
14. April
15. Petit Cadeau

The names were put in by the order they were recieved in the comments, then randomized.

Congratulations Terri!!!

I will be contacting you shortly!

The patterns are now available in my Etsy Shoppe.

Click here to go see.

Thanks for playing everyone!

xx

~Annie

Sneak Peek and a give away!

Such Friendship by Annie Beez Folk Art

This new chart will also be winging its way to my distributor today, and up in my Etsy shop by the end of the week.

The model is stitched on 32ct. flax linen using a combination of sampler threads from Crescent Colours, Gentle Art and Weekes Dye Works. I used a piece of antique lace along the side when I finished it!Isn't it ooo-la-la pretty?? 

I just love antique laces and trims and will scour antique shops endlessly looking for them!

The little flower centers are stitched with a leviathan variation stitch and there is a wee Rhodes heart in the bottom right hand corner.

Leave me a comment on this post and I will enter your name for a free chart of this design on Friday!!

xx

~Annie

Quilty Neighborhood

Finally finished this one! 

Yay! Happy dance!

 I stitched and ripped this last chart many times before I was satisfied! 

I have finished the charting and this will be off to the distributor on Monday!

 Here is the entire piece before framing:

The final chart, Covered Bridge will be in my Etsy shop next week as an e-pattern. It will be in shops within the next couple of weeks!

xx

~Annie