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If that's the first time you've done picots, without extra practice, they are very neat. I love the effect of picots on a piece (especially from a distance), and need to relearn how to do looped picots. Looks so easy in the diagram, but somehow...

Mabel, that is truly stunning!!!

This is absolutely beautiful. Congratulations on mastering all those stitches!

Mabel, Your work is stunning!!!

Serinde wrote:If that's the first time you've done picots, without extra practice, they are very neat.

Thank you very much! I did do a little practice piece on a spare bit of hardanger, just a square of two Klosterblocks on every side (so 4 holes), and then picots on both sides of each of the woven bars -- and was very pleased to find that they worked . For some reason the method I've seen in New Stitches, and the Anchor book, don't work for me but this does, and it somehow looks more logical to me too, like doing a french knot on your bars; apparently you can do looped ones by placing a toothpick or thick needle in the knot as you are pulling it -- must try that next time!

VERY pretty, Mabel. You just keep getting better!

Your mixture of colours and threads are fantastic Mabel, you give incentive to go back to my hardanger work. Thank you so much for sharing your talent

Beautiful. Well done.

I had a lot to catch up on, wonderful work, Mabel!

Right, I'm getting ready for a Hardanger feast -- and that's not counting the Victoria Sampler kit I've still got and one I got off eBay ! I've kitted up some of my own designs and some others.

Here are the "others" -- one with bullion knots and lazy daisy stitches, I'm using a Polstiches hand-dyed fabric with Caron Rose Quartz, DMC stranded cotton and beads:



This one isn't quite complete yet, I still need the #8 pink, but it uses 5ct beige Lugana and DMC pearls and Petite Treasure Braid:



These are my own designs -- the first one I've called "Lustrum" because DH said the hearts version reminded him of our recent 5th anniversary, and in Dutch a five-year anniversary is called a lustrum (so your 10th anniversary would be your 2nd lustrum ) this will be done in three versions: Vikki Clayton pearl and Petite Treasure Braid on black 28ct Quaker cloth, Caron Watercolours, Wildflowers and Waterlilies 046 Rose Blush on Crafty Kitten hand-dyed 25ct Lugana, and DMC white pearl #5, 8 and 12 on 22ct antique white Hardanger:



This one is called "Percival" because I designed it for the next course at the Percival Guildhouse -- unfortunately it's too big so I had to design another one (see below) . It's going to be stitched on moss green 25ct Lugana using Caron Shenandoah and Petite Treasure Braid "white pearl"



And finally the one that I will be using for the Percival course, to be attached to a bag if the students would like it -- I called it Delft because I designed it in blue and white, but I'll also offer a greenversion and a yellow/red/orange one, though I may not stitch them all! I will do a version using Caron Delphinium and Ice for the Wildflowers because I couldn't really justify the expense of buying that too...) It's on 22ct antiques white Hardanger:



I've made a start on Lustrum (black version) -- photos soon I hope

Can't wait to see these stitched up.

Happy Hardanger fest.

All pretty designs! Looking forward to seeing them stitched!

Nice designs. Is the 'original' percival going to be finished with a square hem?

Make sure you TM these designs, Mabel. (just sayin')

I'm not sure I know how to TM them, except by saying "I did them"

The Delft tile will be finished with a knotted blanket stitch, then attached to a bag with double running stitch along the bottom of the blanket stitch so it looks like four-sided stitch (hope that's not too confusing). It's what I did ont he Dare To Be Different bag.

At the moment I'm working on the Lustrum tile on black, but it's rather hard going in the evenings -- black 28ct with a thread that is perhaps just ever so slightly to thick for it (Vikki Clayton's silk perle #5). Great coverage though!

Here's what I've done so far:



I may put this aside in favour of the Delft tile though, as I want to finish that and put it on a blue bag I've got to show to my stitching class next Wednesday (the last time we meet) to encourage them to enroll in next term's class !

A fast way to copyright them is to send them to yourself in the post. Print them out, sign your name and the date on them. Put in envelope. Mark the envelope on the outside with the names of the designs (in a place that won't confuse the post office) and post it to yourself. Then, when it's delivered to you, DON'T OPEN IT. Hopefully the date stamp will be clear on the outside. Put it away somewhere safe.

Sounds over the top, but I've known designers have their work pinched, and no way to prove it was their own. Very sad to report this bad behaviour amongst us saintly stitchers, but...

Back to hardanger: you'll need that super coverage over black, and it looks excellent. The delft blues are lovely, btw.

Thanks Serinde, I may do that, and with some of the cross stitch designs I did as well. Would one envelope do for all of them?

I've made changes to the Percival one, by the way, as I found it was a bit static, and also I didn't like the way all three designs I did were bordered by the same tulips -- I happen to love the tulip motif (comes from being Dutch I suppose ) but I've turned it around on the Percival one, added some other satin stitch motifs and some beads in a sort of "sweep" which I hope adds a sense of movement and, well, lightheartedness -- though I may be a bit optimistic there . Here's a mock-up from my stitching program:

Yes, all one envelope will do it, as long as you know what's in the envelope. This is a belt-and-braces sort of thing, but helps should you ever be in the unfortunate position of having to prove your authorship.

Really like the new percival. A change of colours could also give a fabulous christmassy feel... Must be all the "gold". Remind me which program you use -- I'm thinking about buying Ursa Software's MacStitch 2010.

I've got a very old copy of one of the Jane Greenoff programs which I got off eBay for a couple of pounds -- it has its quirks but it does the job!

Serinde, just followed your advice -- printed out my cross stitch and Hardanger designs, made notes of when they were designed (in some cases noting that I had posted the design here at the time), and will send them to myself using "Signed For" so the date is bound to be legible
Thanks again for the advice and helpful info!