More Black Belt Stitching Wizard Stuff

Saturday, February 05, 2011

First Big Happy Dance of 2011!!! & TUSAL

Yes, I know, I know I've been silent for days and days haven't I?  I've been quiet for two reasons, first of all I've been furiously stitching and second, I've been feeling meh again and haven't felt like doing anything!  Getting out of bed in the morning has been very difficult, I've had to really make myself go to work, I've not been motivated to exercise, and I have to admit I don't want to go anywhere lately.

Art Deco Spirits
c1996 Nora Corbett - Mirabilia
Stitched on 32ct Jazlyn with DMC, Kreinik #4, Rainbow Galleries Pettite Treasure Braid


I started Art Deco Spirits on January 1st of 2009 as a part of a Stitch-A-Long with my friends Kathy, Beatrice, and Christin.  Kathy and Beatrice were great to get their Mirabilias done that year, Christin and I ... well we took a little longer.  Other projects just kept grabbing my attention.  In 2010 instead of joining my friends in a New Year's Day start/SAL I decided it was the year I would start getting projects out of my stitching basket!  Art Deco Spirits was one of the projects that had been left unloved in my basket for far too long (but not as long as other projects).


Last year after finishing Celestial Dragon, it was Art Deco's turn to come out and play!  I have been plugging away at this beauty for some months now and I'm proud to say "Its Done!"


People are surprised to find out that  yes, this piece is a Miriabilia an early one, number 19 to be exact.  I bought the chart during my first trip to the Creativ Festival in Toronto back in 2001 where I saw it on display as a model.  It took far too many years to come to the top of the must stitch pile and I spent far too long working ignoring it once started.  Despite all the metallics it was a joy to stitch!

I am so happy with this piece.

I did make some slight changes with the metallic threads.  The model which is stitched on 32ct is stitched with #8 braid.  Right away, I changed that to #4 braid.  Also the gold metallic is supposed to be DMC 284Z which is the worst stuff on earth!  I used Rainbow Galleries Pettite Treasure Braid PB01 instead, lovely to work with.

So what's next on the horizon you may ask?  I have a bunch of quilt blocks to stitch up, for a quilt my dear friend Marie-Paule is helping me with.  She had this completed back in August and I fell in love with it!  Marie-Paule offered to hook me up to copy what she created.  I've also got some stitching friends lined up to help me out.  These will also be my travel stitching in two weeks when I head down to the Dominican Republic on a third world experience for one week.  There is also my upcoming March Break trip to Arizona, I'll be travelling and sitting in airports for 11-12 hours there and back, lots of stitching time!!!

My Focus project is going to be Enchantment Of Winter by Dimples Designs (Terrance Nolan), which I made a small start on in the fall.  This piece is going to be a challenge for sure!  I'm stitching it on the recommended 32ct linen and the whole center of the design is stitched over one!  My friend Ann, owner of Knowledge and Needles sells these great LED light/magnifiers and I'll be buying one soon for sure!  This piece will be a labour of love for sure!

Of course I'm going to continue my 10x10 daily blocks on the Accolade, which I'm ashamed to say I haven't touched since I could see Art Deco's finish line so close!


Thursday was the New Moon so time for the TUSAL!  Here is my jar looking quite prettyful filled with lots of threads from Art Deco Spirits.  I love watching the layers of my projects develop.  Now the colours will change to purple and gold as I work on Enchantment!

70 comments:

Crossed Yarns said...

Absolutely beautiful - just love the way you've stitched them together!

Shannon said...

It's gorgeous! Congratulations on getting it finished!

Cole said...

GORGEOUS!! Enjoy your happy dance, I'm dancing right along with you! Congrats!

valerie said...

Beautiful! Congrats on your happy dance!

Clare-Aimetu said...

Superb happy dance - your jar is growing too. I hope you feel better soon x

Brigitte said...

Oh wow, what a finish!!! This definitely deserves a major happy dance. Looking forward to seeing your next stitching plans here on your blog.

Lesleyanne said...

Wow your Art Deco piece is gorgeous. Congrats on the finish. Your tusal jar looks great. Look forward to seeing your next focus piece.

Cath said...

Wow , it is truly stunning . Well done on your finish . Looking forward to seeing your other project too ,ans pics from DR .
Take care , and hope you feel more with it soon . X

Christine said...

Congratulations on a fantastic finish Dani, they look absolutely wonderful!
Hope you are feeling better soon

Unknown said...

Absolutely beautiful Dani. I'm jealous LOL

Heather said...

It looks fabulous, Dani! Great job.

Gina said...

Fabulous. I now know I simply must get this chart!! Congratulations on your perseverance.

Chris said...

Congratulations on your finish Dani! They are beautiful.
I hope that the funk you have been feeling is over soon.

Sue said...

Congratulations on your finish, it's a beautiful series. Hope you get to feeling a little better soon.

riona said...

I knew the finished project would be ohenomenal ... but this exceeds all expectations.

Kathy A. said...

Dani - it is simply stunning! Congratulations of finishing it up.
I think you just have a case of the winter blahs. It won't be long until you are enjoying some Arizona sunshine with me. Hang in there!

jane said...

Beautiful finish Dani, congratulations!
I hope you feel more like yourself very soon x

Michelle said...

Congratulations on a stunning finish! Can't wait to see your progress on Enchantment of Winter :)

Delusional Knitter said...

Congrats on the finish, it is so beautiful!

Barbi said...

Oh Dani it's GORGEOUS!!!! well done! Your next project by Dimples is in my to be stitched one day pile. You may inspire me.

Carol said...

Wow! What a finish, Dani! Congratulations on a true work of art :)

I'll look forward to your photos from the Dominican Republic--really enjoyed yours from last year's trip.

Bette said...

Dani, that is absolutely gorgeous. You did a wonderful job on it. I always look forward to seeing what you've been stitching.

Jo said...

Sorry to hear you've been in a slump... must be the time of year. Hopefully this fabulous happy dance will help move you back towards your ususal cheery, busy self...

Myra said...

What a masterpiece! Just gorgeous.

Sadie said...

Oh Dani! It is beautiful! Congratulations :-)

geeky Heather said...

Dani, Deco Spirits is FABULOUS!!! This is somewhere in my stash since the hubby loves Art Deco and Art Nouveau. I'll have to make sure he doesn't see your blog or he'll be pestering me to start it! =) Thanks for posting your changes, though...I will make a note of them; the PB01 is an especially good idea.

All these gray, rainy/snowy days make me feel lethargic, too!!

Missy Ann said...

Absolutely stunning Dani! Congrats on a gorgeous finish.

Erica said...

Congratulation on your finish!
It always feels so good to finish a long time project. It looks beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on finishing Deco Spirits. Truly beautiful.

Mary said...

Great job on the Art Deco Spirits! Congrats on your finish! It's really pretty.

Melanie said...

Beautiful!! Congrats on finishing!! :)

Sally said...

Hugs to you Dani. I've been feeling that way too and am going to see my GP this week. Don't want medication just need to talk to someone.

Congratulations on your finish! It is truly beautiful!

Meadows08 said...

What a great finish!!!! You must be thrilled :)

Stitcher S said...

Hope you feel better soon. It's tough to not feel 'up to par'. I can relate!

Your jar is gorgeous , as is your Mirabilia. Love the colors in this piece.

Take care!

Paula said...

Gorgeous finish.

Hope the the blahs go soon- I can related to how you are feeling just now.

Stitcher said...

Congratualation on your finish, it's wonderful.

Lynn said...

WooHoo!! It's really gorgeous! I love those blues.I'm so glad I got a chance to see it in person. It's such a stunning design.
Hope you can ditch those blahs and get back on track.

Alice said...

Three cheers for you! Beautiful stitching!
I've been 'meh' lately too. Could it be S.A.D? Take it easy.

Erna said...

Beautiful finish Dani, I hope you're feeling a little better by now
Hugs
Erna

Carolyn NC said...

Dani,
This is just breathtaking! I love this piece - you did a wonderful job! Hope you're feeling up again. Winter's a downer sometimes, isn't it?

Daffycat said...

Isn't it fun to see the different layers in an ORT jar? A lovely TU update!

Lainey said...

Congratulations Dani your finish is beautiful!

Annie said...

What a marvelous piece! That finish should really cheer you up. But if not, I hope you come out of your funk soon! Big virtual hugs to you help.

Jules said...

Wow, those are beautiful pieces!

Stay safe during your travels!!!

mary said...

Love, love, love your latest finish! You are on a roll so far this year, can't wait to see what's next. :)

Alisa said...

Very nice! I can see why you are so happy with it!!! I hope your blahs move along soon.

Jennifer said...

Dani what a beautiful job you did on Art Deco spirits. How lovely! Have a wonderful trip to the Dominican . What part of Arizona are you going to ? We are going to Tuscon for the 3rd time on my children's March break. This time my parents are joining us for their first time in Arizona. If you haven't been there before , it is wonderful!

Jodie said...

Congrats on the finish, it looks GREAT! I travelled to Arizona a year and a half ago and completely fell in love with it, it's breathtaking, I'm so jealous that you're going...you'll LOVE it!

Linda K's Stitching Corner said...

Congratulations on your finishes...good for you.

Take care & Happy Stitching
Hugs :) from Cold Icy Snowy Northern Indiana
Linda K, Railroad

claudia said...

Congratulations on a beautiful finish! You did good!

Lindsay said...

Gorgeous finish Dani, Congrats.

If the light/magnifer is a clip on mighty bright then go for it, I've got one and it's absolutely fantastic

Anonymous said...

Breathtaking! Well done on your finish!

Lisa said...

Your finish is absolutely beautiful! I am so glad that it came out of the UFO pile and got finished. The blues, black and metallic colors are so rich and vivid. It really is beautiful! How are you going to finish it?

BTW...I can sympathesize with your feelings of being uninspired to do much. Most of my days seem so similar and busy, it tends to be a stuggle and get out of bed most days. I do try and find one little piece of excitement for the following day to motivate me, to create the drive to get going in the morning. Most days it works...I think that it is just this time of the year, for in most places it is the dull-drums of winter and the winter blahs start to take over. I guess I am very lucky to be in Northern California where spring has started, the sun is out and the flowers are blooming. That definitely helps.
Hang in there my friend, we are all here to support you and care about you.

Bekca said...

Congratulations on this gorgeous finish! :)

Karen said...

OMG....kudos on such an amazing finish. Seeing the entire completed project is beautiful.

Hope you get your "mojo" back and can't wait to see the next project... happy stitching.

Blu said...

Absolutely stunning!
And Dani, this chart is crawling it's way through the post to me and I blame you!!!

Karin said...

Congrats on an amazing finish! So beautiful.

Terri said...

Great finish Dani

Clare said...

Beautiful finish.
Clare

mbroider said...

Congratulations on your first big finish of the year. Looks great!!

Now waiting for Enchantment!! I wanted to tell you that your progress pics are something i never miss. I love them and the progress details you put in

Katri said...

Wow, it turned out gorgeous!

Karen said...

Congrats on your finish! It's beautiful!! :D

ollie1976 said...

Congrats!
-Jen

Giovanna said...

Congratulations, it's a gorgeous piece!

Julie said...

Woohoo!!!! Fabulous finish, its amazing, well done

Sharon said...

Fabulous finish Dani! Congrats!

Aussie Stitcher said...

Congratulations Dani, they look wonderful. I hope that you are back to your normal self soon (((((HUGS))))).

Lisa said...

Well done on such a big happy dance, it looks gorgeous!

Michelle said...

Woohoo!!! Congrats on the gorgeous finish. Beautiful!!!

Tama said...

That is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Congratulations!