Mabel's WIPs -- thread now retired

[Sarah Gixxer]

Wow! I haven't checked into this thread for a while and you've done some beautiful pieces since. I love the way the Madonnas came out in satin stitch and the varigated threads are gorgeous.

The squirrel is very cute too, he'll make a lovely card!

[Billly'sGirl]

I your Madonnas, especially the last one!!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

An in-between quickie -- eldest's girlfriend Sam turns 20 tomorrow so I "baked" her a personal cupcake

[kell]

Cute cupcake. And I love that embossed card - I'm going to keep an eye open for something similar around here!

[burgundyice]

That cupcake looks great, love the beads.
Was about to ask how you worked out how many stitches to do for the Madonnas to keep the proportions the same... then I remembered what satin stitch is, looked closer at the photos and realise it's probably much quicker and easier to do them in satin stitch anyway!!

Louise

[Mabel Figworthy]

it's probably much quicker and easier to do them in satin stitch anyway!!

It certainly is, I did those two in one afternoon !

[Nachstenliebe]

Awwww very cute cupcake!
Faith

[Rose]

Nice cupcake!!!!!

[annkor26]

Looks good enough to eat!

[Cecilia]

Mabel, I really love all your work. In the Forum Bio thread I said I didn't like religious designs, but I really love the Madonnas you are doing, probably because of its unfussy style.

The Hardanger is looking great. I don't think you can say you're a beginner any more.

[agi]

Lovely cupcake!

[XandraS]

Such a cute cupcake, I'm sure Sam will love it

[Mabel Figworthy]

As I said in the General thread, I had such a long wait at the hospital morning that I stitched one and a half Madonnas, and as I am not allowed to do anything for the rest of the day, and DH is keeping me to this rigorously (he wasn't even to happy about letting me use the computer as he suspected I might try and do some work while it was on ) I finished the second one, and also a petit point one I started a few days ago.

So the Madonna score is up to 19 and I think I'll leave Christmas cards for a bit now....

Oh, by the way, I re-photographed the first satin stitch Madonna I did -- the ones on black canvas are most awkward to photograph for some reason, I can't get them sharp or showing the correct colour, but by doing something to the exposure I've got acceptable pics now.

So here is the new pic of the one I did before:



This one uses Watercolours 240 Stucco on 24ct Congress Cloth (there is a very pale lavender rigth in the middle of the large stretches of white but it didn't photograph very well):



And this one uses Watercolours 167 Lime Ice -- very light but with subtle yellows and greens, so pale they didn't photograph very well but in real life it looks quite nice:



And the petit point one, on 20ct white aida using Impressions 066 Jade and Petite Treasure Braid (03 Gold):

[agi]

[ali-cat]

The Madonna's get better and better - the colours are fantastic!! As for the cupcake .....

[XandraS]

Lovely madonnas Mabel

[Rose]

Very Beautiful!!!!

[K1nS]

The top one has to be my fav, I love the colours

[Mabel Figworthy]

It's all very well getting horribly distracted by all those lovely interesting Hardanger designs, but I have been neglecting most grievously some of my cross stitch WIPs .

I will have to re-think the Time For God bookmarks, I think -- I've finished one, and have two more to go, and the trouble with them is that I can't do them during my normal evening stitching. So I will a) have to make time for them on Saturdays and Sundays when I can stitch in the daytime with lots of light, and b) probably revise my intended time for giving them... I've been considering doing them as St Nicholas presents; you may remember I did the coasters last year, I thought this year I might do these bookmarks for the three hosts/leaders, and simpler/quicker bookmarks (possible hardanger ) for all the others. This would give me until December 5th *phew, breathing space*

For now though, I've done some work on Dare To Be Different which is to be a patch on a bag for my SIL for putting me up whenever I come to London. You can't see the lettering very well at the moment but it'll stand out a lot better when the carrotty hair has been filled in ! I'm thinking of various ways of attaching the patch -- I'll probably hem the patch using buttonhole stitch, then either stitch it on with double running stitch at the bottom of the buttonhole stitch (so it looks like four-sided edging), or make four buttonholes in the corner, sew nice large buttons on to the bag and attach it like that -- would make it easier to wash as well!



edited:
Or just attach it using buttons sewn on through the patch -- I know that sort of defeats the purpose of buttons , but it's easy and it looks good.

[Rose]

Oh that is looking really good on the blue fabric.