Tall Tales from Kansas

it's just how I roll

We have had some marvelous pink and blue sunset skies here lately.  Chris took these photos the other night, since I am generally driving home when these things are happening. He is on retainer for just these purposes.  

As a bonus (at no extra charge) he also went downtown this week and picked up my finished needlepoint.  I am pleased with how it turned out. The woman at Framewoods did an excellent job stretching it just a bit more to get it squared up. 

Now I have to figure out what piece I will start on next.  I don't know why I have to be sewing, knitting, and stitching/needlepointing something all the time, it's just how I roll.   

 

she provided the reassurance I needed to just go for it

The list of completely ordinary things that have been happening around here lately includes pressing leaves, baking an acorn squash, buying store flowers, and washing blueberries. 

Leaf looking continues to provide much delight, especially when cats follow you as you look, sometimes threatening to climb trees.

The Fall 'over-the-table-light' adornment was put in place, and perhaps my greatest accomplishment was the wet-blocking, or stretching, or whatever you call the process for getting your needlepoint back into a somewhat square shape so you can get it framed.  

I will admit to being a bit nervous about it, but I followed the same principles used for blocking knitted items, after I checked with Joan (who has done this about a million times). She provided the reassurance I needed to just go for it. Sing it with me now ... ♫ that's what friends are for.

french knot needlework is a very inexact science

I am still having great fun making french knots.  Especially on a Monday, with my feet up, drinking coffee, and looking at the peonies. 

I am delighted to see evidence that others have joined in on the fun.   Please leave a comment with a link to your site if you are doing one too.    I want to see if you are employing techniques I need to incorporate into mine.  

I started out by doing some outlining and then filling in with french knots.

Then I made straight lines of french knots.

Then I thought about the need for some negative spaces.

When I started on this pomegranate complete madness took over and I started cramming as many knots as possible into the space.  Then I decided shading was a good idea. 

I do not know how long this project will go.  Either when I get tired of making knots, I stick myself with the needle one too many times, or I run out of embroidery floss.   Until that time I am not planning ahead about what I will do next.  I just pick a color and start on an area.  The less thinking the better.  By it's nature, french knot needlework is a very inexact science. 

this could be the start of something BIG

On this rainy day I have been readying my supplies for the "french knot caper" embroidery project that I told you about a few weeks ago.  I went to the fabric store downtown and looked at every flowered bolt of material they had and finally settled on this one.

I wanted somewhat of a blank slate so I could put any colors I wanted on it.  Hopefully I didn't go too basic and I won't feel I am lacking for enough color in the background.  Time will tell.

These colors will be featured for sure as my love affair with all things orange continues unabated.  I am thinking of some blues mixed in as well and that 's as far as I have gotten for now.

There is no shortage of colors to choose from and nothing pleases me more than going shopping in my own closets for supplies to use up.  

My needles are dusted off and ready to go.  I will report back when I have made some progress.  If any of you are going to be embarking on your own "french knot caper" please e-mail some photos.  This could be the start of something BIG. 

the challenging nature of the french knot

Before I move on from the topic of french knots (until such time as I am ready to reveal the completed one thousand french knot project), I want to tell you one little thing about them. 

I had always found them to be extremely challenging.  My hands would get all sweaty and I would curse as I attempted to pull the needle through the wrapped floss.  It always sounded so simple when I read how to make one.   

When I needed to do them for the Rebecca Ringquist sampler below, I reviewed a tutorial and found the one little secret that no one had ever told me.  A millinery needle.  It's a needle that is the same diameter from point to eye so it goes through the wrapped floss easily! 

Since several of you commented on the challenging nature of the french knot I thought I would share the tip that saved me.  I would have never considered doing the number that will be required for this new project before I learned it.   

I don't think I ever showed you what my finished sampler looked like after framing.  I went for the weathered barnwood look and had the sampler placed over a dark mat so you would be able to easily see the texture of the fabric it was stitched on.

It turned out just the way I had envisioned.  Rustic, hand-made, an heirloom to be passed down to some unsuspecting great neice. 

all of my excitement is focused on the stitching

Hello, this is my new Spring fern.  It lives on my mantle and I have taken an oath to be sure that it gets the proper amount of water and light so that it will live to a ripe old age of at least 4 months. 

I found it yesterday when Joan and I were out celebrating the arrival of spring.  We also saw some amazing inspiration for a new stitching project at the same place (J'adore in Brookside).  Get a load of this....

Is that not the coolest pillow you have ever seen in your life?  Joan and I looked at it, looked at each other, and said...  we can MAKE that!  I took a couple of pictures for reference and we are now on the hunt for the perfect fabric to embellish with a zillion french knots.

This is what happens when you go out to celebrate spring with your friend who has just as much zeal for a DIY project as you do.  Luckily for me, her enthusiasm is coupled with the skill and drive to make it happen.  On our next fun day together we are going to stitch at her house.  

I have my DMC floss and needles all packed up and ready to go.   I can't wait to get started. My excitement has nothing to do with the fact that Joan also said she would made a strawberry rhubarb pie for us to eat.  All of my excitement is focused on the stitching, but I am planning to bring some vanilla ice cream along with the rest of my supplies.  

 

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hatched, ordered, completed, framed, and hung

It is very rare that an idea is hatched, ordered, completed, framed, and hung within a 4 month period.  But here is the evidence for your consideration.  

I am very pleased with how the rabbit turned out.  So much so that I might have already started another needlepoint project.  Just a little something to work on when I am not knitting.  It's good for the hands to be forced to use the different muscles required by another craft.  

Cross-training for the hands.  Very therapeutic for the mind as well. 

 

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Stunning. Amazing. Bold.

behold the squares for August, September, October, and November

Stunning. Amazing. Bold.

My friend Joan has outdone herself and stitched all six of the creation series tapestries.  They have been stretched and framed and hung in her living room.  I almost fell down when I saw them grouped together over her couch. 

They are stunning.  Amazing.  Bold.  All six of them together really makes a statement.  

I could not do them justice with the angle and light I was working with.    They are covered with museum glass which as you can see above.... you really can't see.  It lets the texture come through while protecting the tapestry.   It's hard to pick a favorite, but this one is the one I would pick if I could steal it off the wall.  Since it would create a gaping hole in the overall statement I won't take it.   Maybe I'll try my hand at stitching one up myself.   Joan's work makes me want to challenge myself to try more intricate projects.  

It's good to have friends like that.   

 

softly perfect fall evenings

On September 25th I reported that to the best of my ability to calculate, I was 3/8's of the way done with my rabbit.   My enthusiasm for this project has not waned one iota since I started it.  I have become a needlepoint junkie.  

So much so in fact, that I want you to see the back of my rabbit.

By looking at the back it is easy to see I am about 2/3 of the way done.  Yes, the back is a bit on the messy side, but how else are you gonna know this is handmade?   

As I stitched I sipped on my new favorite fall beverage.   Mmm.  It's a good balance to all that sweet and salty mix.  You know the one.  I won't call it by name. 

My sister got me hooked on the white coconut tea and now there's the pumpkin spice chai.   The good thing is its hot tea!  I actually think it's probably good for you.  I got to sipping and stitching and before I knew it...  we were at days end.  Another one of those softly perfect fall evenings.   Love.  Love.  Love. 

 

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oh sweet mother of all that is holy

my complete and utter inability to focus my mind

I have been stitching on the rabbit for a little over 2 weeks now.  I would say I am 3/8's of the way done.  I am not mathematical but believe that is more than 1/4 but less than 1/3.  

This project has been a sheer delight to work on.  I could be a bit further along if it weren't for my complete and utter inability to focus my mind on only one thing at a time.   About an hour into a rabbit session my eyes slide over to my stack of squares for that afghan I am working on.    More specifically this little blue and purple number I started last week. 

One of you had to ask how this project was coming along which of course made me realize I was going to do one a month and I haven't done one since May.   I am taking a little trip in October and I feel certain I can get the July, August, September, AND October squares done while I am gone.  Heck fire!   I might go on a terror and knit November and December too.

I am nothing if not a dreamer. 

paint by number only with wool and a needle

My needlepoint rabbit project has arrived!   I mentioned a while back that my friend Joan had finished a needlepoint project and I got a bad case of needlepoint envy.   There was nothing to do but start one of my own. 

I have done some needlepoint in the past but it's been awhile.  This is one of the easiest, most enjoyable things to pick up and start.  No counting to do, no colors to pick.  In fact, it reminds me of paint by number only with wool and a needle. 

Lewis is a bit put off by the thought of a rabbit of any kind in the house.  I carefully put up my work after each stitching session.  He has a reputation where rabbits are concerned.    I'm not taking any chances. 

If you are interested, I got my kit at Ehrman Tapestry .