And the tweeking continues ...

I have taken a few photos that continue the stitching saga begun in my last post.

First, here is the Imaginating, Inc.'s Cardinal ornament - still unassembled:

Next, the free chart Baba Black Sheep which can be found in its full glory at http://gigir.canalblog.com/ but is pictured here so that you can note the changes I have made:

and, my version, almost completely stitched ... I just have to finish the French knots on the black sheep and do a bit of back-stitching on his legs, tail and ear:

I plan to finish this up as a tote bag using some lovely thin wale black corduroy from my fabric stash. I'll be lining it with some light tan flannel sheeting so as to protect my stash purchases when visiting the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival in the fall.

And, as startitis continues to afflict me, I have this piece to show:

I got the idea for this from a blog that I recommend highly, //www.pintangle.com/ ... the crazy quilting and dimensional embroidery techniques she focuses on are just phenomenally beautiful. I'll be using the same fibers that I used in my Spots of Fun Sampler, a Debbie Draper design, [pictured and discussed in September - October 2008 on this blog] last fall. I've been looking for an excuse to use those sumptuous fibers again ... and this time I'll be adding metallics and beads to the mix. I'll use the finished 4" x 6" band as the focal point of a handbag ... I am thinking, black denim or an upholstery weight linen in ecru for the fabric but I am open to suggestion. In any case, I am making this up as I go along. Since I will be using quite a few round and oval beads & buttons in copper-y tones, curved lines & specialty stitches and nest-like raised circles ... my working title is Fertile Circles. I am already imagining ways to use the technique in other projects, e.g.: using the dimensional circles as the eyes in an owl.

I think it would be fun to make a little needlebook or Christmas ornament using this dense and dimensional embroidery technique and offer it as one of my monthly giveaways ... does that appeal to anyone?