Hoops for Hospice - Updated 8/31/25

August 31, 2025--This is the third project I'm doing for the Hoops for Hospice program.  This time it's a very small cross-stitched Santa Hat which will fit into a 3" hoop beautiful.  As I did with the prior project, I first mounted the 26-count linen on stretcher bars, starched the finished stitches with Nori paste, then placed it in the 3" hoop.  I was compelled to starch the stitches since the thread, DMC Perle #5 and stitched over 2 linen threads, seemed so heavy.  

Santa Hat Mini Cross Stitch Completed

Santa Hat Mini Cross Stitch on Stretcher Bars

I found this as a free pattern online distributed by:

So all three of my pieces are ready to "finish" at my ANG chapter October meeting.  Then I'll post a photo of all three together.

Today is my 75th birthday and it's wonderful to have gotten this far in life.  About ten years ago my doctor told me I should live to 115.  Wow, that's 40 more years!!!  I need to buy a lot more needlepoint.  Yay!

August 16, 2015--Here's the second hoop ornament stitched to date.  It's called Tower of Presents by DebBee Designs, 2024.  This time, instead of stitching it in a hoop, I placed the 26-count linen on stretcher bars.  Worked perfectly since I was able to get it tight as a drum.  When the stitching was done, I "starched" the piece using Nori paste, let it dry overnight, removed the linen from the stretcher bars, then placed it in a hoop.   No wonkiness or warping.

I have one more hoop ornament to stitch, so I'm off to "shop my stash".  

Please see posts below for more information about this project.

Tower of Presents Completed

Tower of Presents on Stretcher Bars

August 11, 2025--For the past few years, Delaware's Seashore Chapter of ANG has been participating in Delaware's Hospice Holiday Tree program.  Last year we did clothespin angels and they were a huge success.  

This year we are making ornaments that are self-finished using 3" and 4" embroidery hoops.   I volunteered to stitch up three ornaments and below is my first one.  This is a free design from Laura Perin called Christmas Square.  It's supposed to be stitched on 18 count canvas with perle 5 thread.  Since canvas doesn't squeeze well into hoops, I thought I would work this up on 26 count linen (given to me a long time ago) using perle 8 thread.  The idea was good, but I learned that needlepoint stitches can be too heavy for linen--the fabric isn't stiff enough to hold the weight of the thread, so it looks a bit warped.   For the next ornament (using a different design), I'm going to tack the linen onto stretcher bars, then use lighter weight thread (e.g., 2 strands of floss, not perle 8).  That should work better.  Stay tuned on how that will work.

Hoop Ornament Christmas Square Completed

When I was first thinking about using this design on linen, I wasn't sure if perle 8 would work, so I asked Microsoft's AI called CoPilot (this comes with my Microsoft 365 subscription).  Here is what it told me:

My Query:  Can DMC perle 8 be used on 26 count linen?

CoPilot's Response:  Absolutely — DMC Perle 8 can be used on 26-count linen, but it depends on the look and feel you're going for. Here's how it plays out:

🧵 Compatibility & Stitching Style

•  Thread Thickness: Perle 8 is a non-divisible, medium-weight thread. On 26-count linen (typically stitched over two threads), it will produce bold, raised stitches with good texture.

•  Coverage: It offers full coverage on 26-count linen, especially for surface embroidery, Hardanger, or specialty stitches.

•  Needle Choice: A size 26 tapestry needle works well with Perle 8 on this fabric count.

✨ Ideal Uses

•  Surface Embroidery: Great for decorative stitches like stem stitch, chain stitch, or satin stitch.

•  Hardanger Embroidery: Perle 8 is often used for the satin stitch portion, paired with Perle 12 for the delicate cutwork.

•  Bold Cross Stitch: If you're doing cross stitch, expect a chunkier, more dimensional look than with standard floss.

If you're aiming for delicate detail, you might prefer a finer thread like Perle 12 or stranded cotton. But if you want texture and drama, Perle 8 on 26-count linen is a lovely combo. 

Pretty cool.  

Art Deco Tree - Updated 8/28/25

August 28, 2025--Just picked this up from my framer, and wow, was very pleased to see what she did with the mat board.  And it's a double mat to boot.  And it was cut completely by hand (no lasers involved).  Wow.  

Art Deco Tree Finished

March 13, 2025--Ta da -- Done!!!  I've been working on this beautiful tree on and off for the last 3 months and loved every minute.   For more information about the source of this project, please scroll down to see prior blog postings.  This post will be about the last lesson being given to my ANG chapter (Lesson 3) and the sections covered.   As was done for the prior two lessons, I've worked up lots of graphs to make the stitching of this advance level project a bit easier.

The advice I would give to anyone endeavoring to work up this project is to count, count and recount every step of the way.  Read EACH sentence carefully--there's a lot of information packed into each paragraph, and you don't want to miss a step.  Ripping out sections because the stitch was done incorrectly, or you counted wrong, will be a common theme (was for me).  Don't worry about it--just redo it and you'll be happier.  This project is very addicting, and you'll want to keep stitching on it as you see each section develop (like a flower opening its petals). 

OK, now that I've posted lots of closeup photos below--I can see how bad some of my stitching looks.  Oh well--this is a very "busy" project and from a normal distance, my wonky stitches won't look bad at all.  

Art Deco Tree Completed

Art Deco Tree Areas C4, M2 M1 Partial, T1, M4, M3, C5, T2 and Star Completed Lesson 3

Area T1, T2, M4, M3 Closeup

Area C4 Closeup

Area C5 Closeup

Star Closeup

February 18, 2025--Below is a photo of Areas B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, C2, C3, E1, E2, and M1 Partial stitched to date.  This is a large project. The completed stitching will measure about 13" tall and 11" at the widest point (the tree bottom).

Art Deco Tree Completed Through Area M1 Partial

Areas B1, B2, B3, B4, C3 and M1 will be part of the second class given to my ANG chapter in May.  I calculate I'm about 70% done with this beautiful project.  It has a ton of shine and dimension.  However, please don't look closely at the stitches and beading--some of it is a "hot mess" so to speak.  Also, my Kreinik gold threads had a dye lot change and if you study the stitches closely, you may be able to see the difference.  But the pattern is so busy, I don't believe the dye lot changes will jump out at anyone.

Here are photos of each section as stitched:

Art Deco Tree Area C3 Completed

The beading in area C3 was strung up in a line and couched down rather than attached to the canvas one at a time as instructed.  Even though this looks a bit wonky (Mill Hill beads are not as nice as Miyuki or Toho beads, for example), it looks so much better than the other way.  This is because the beads are larger than the canvas thread spacing, so you need to skip a canvas thread periodically.  I did not like how that looked.

The photos, from this point forward, are of the right side of the tree only.

Art Deco Tree Area B1

Art Deco Tree Area B3

Art Deco Tree Area B2

Art Deco Tree Areas B4 and M1 Partial

January 7, 2025--This is a section of the Art Deco Tree project designed by Deborah Reichert published in ANG's Needle Pointers Nov 2024 Magazine.  The stitching in this post covers Areas C1, C2, E1 and E2.  Isn't it beautiful?  

I have the privilege of leading this as a three-part class to Delaware's Seashore Chapter of ANG beginning in March.   My class will include lots of additional notes, graphs and instructions to make stitching this piece a little easier and more enjoyable.

Art Deco Tree Completed through Section E2

Below are photos of each section as it was stitched.

Art Deco Tree Area C1 Completed (love how the shiny rayon floss makes this look like a pearl)

Art Deco Tree Area C2 Completed (the outer edges make me think of Mother of Pearl)

Art Deco Tree Area E1 Completed

Laundry Schedule - Updated 8/28/25

August 28, 2025--Framed!  I love the quirky colors, and they look great in my laundry room.  Had a little problem though.  As with many "inexpensive" canvases, the warp and weft are not squared, and even though I stitched this using stretcher bars, the warped canvas could not be straightened and is a little skewed inside the matting.  But it'll hang in a room that rarely has visitors, so it's no big deal.  Next time I am purchasing a canvas where the brand is unknown (not a Zweigart canvas for example), I'll immediately check to see if it's square, and if not, will leave it behind.

Laundry Schedule Finished

June 15, 2025--Done!  In the last post (see below) I had concerns about not having enough green thread used in the 16 boxes around the main sign.  Well, I did have enough but with only one length left over.  Whew, that was close, especially since my thread was 14 years old and I feared there would be a very noticeable dye lot change.

I don't plan on stitching another painted canvas anytime soon--unless it's stitch painted.  I have a hard time figuring out where to place stitches, constantly ripping out through trial and error.

Once framed, this will be a fun addition to my laundry room.

Laundry Schedule Completed

Please see the posting(s) below for more information about this canvas.

June 11, 2025--Everything is stitched except for the green background in the little boxes.  I fear that I might run out of the beautiful Gloriana green thread used for the background, so I stitched up one of the 16 boxes to see how much thread it used, and I calculated I will have just enough--barely.  It's going to be tight and there's no room for error.  Just in case I do run out, I posted a notice in the "Help, I Need Thread!" Facebook page asking if anyone might have it.   This thread is 14 years old and I'm sure dye lots have changed over the years.

Here's my progress to date:

Laundry Schedule at 2025-06-11

June 3, 2025--I ran out of the bright fuchsia thread that was purchased in 2014 for the borders, so had to order more.  As I feared, there was a very distinctive dye lot change (at least to me) between 2014 and today, but I decided it wasn't jarring enough to rip out what was done before.  What do you think?  Can you see where the difference is?

I like the dimension of the thick thread for the borders and the twisted, couched down memory thread separating the segments around the main sign.

BTW, the more I look at some of the items in the boxed segments, I believe the 6th one is a pile of folded laundry, not a box of powdered detergent.  Also, the one I labeled as a hanging hamper may be a folded dress shirt.   

Here's what everything looks like so far:

Laundry Schedule at 2025-05-02

Laundry Schedule at 2025-05-02 Side View

May 29, 2925--The main portion of the sign is stitched.  The letters look haphazard, but that's how I saw them painted on the canvas.  I chose to use a diagonal Gobelin Stitch for the background--much easier to compensate than the Byzantine Stitch recommended in my guide.  It also reminds me of shiplap or bead board.

Next up are the items surrounding the main sign, most of which will be done in tent stitch.  From what I can tell, they are (clockwise from upper left):

• Sock
• Coins and coin slot (as in a laundromat)
• laundry basket filled with clothes
• Self-Serve sign
• Bottle of liquid detergent (Tide?)
• Box of powdered detergent Stack of folded laundry
• laundry basket/hamper (empty)
• Ironing board
• Stained T-shirt
• Sprayer bottle
• Clothespin
• Iron
• Hanger
• Bottle of fabric softener
• Hanging hamper (really not sure about this one) Folded dress shirt
• Wash board

Please let me know if you see something different.  Thanks.

Laundry Schedule at 2025-05-29

May 25, 2021--Look what I pulled out of my projects bin/basket.   It's a painted canvas by Shivering Sheep Designs called Laundry Schedule.  I purchased this canvas at a deep discount while at the 2012 ANG Seminar in Philadelphia, PA.  Then put it away, not having a clue what to do with it.  

Then in August of 2014, Fireside Stitchery had a 15% sale on threads along with free stitch guides (when you purchase threads).  I took advantage of that offering and was given a delightful set of instructions for stitches to use.  Of course, it's called a stitch "guide", so I can change/embellish, etc. the stitches as I like.  This should be fun.

Laundry Schedule by Shivering Sheep Design Project Photo

Heart My Pastel - 8/27/25

August 27, 2025--Another Nancy Cucci designed heart stitched!  This one is called My Pastel Heart, and the instructions were published in the 2012 Needlepoint Now Magazine, Vol. 4.  I chose to work this up in my favorite color--blue-green.  I love the dimension that all the beads give this lovely piece.

Heart My Pastel Completed

Heart My Pastel Completed - Side View

Heart Anniversary - 8/12/25

August 12, 2025--Here's Nancy Cucci's Anniversary Heart taught at the 2022 ANG Seminar in Tuscon, AZ.  It's loaded with sparkle and dimension, taking me days to stitch on all the beads--days and days I say!

Heart Anniversary Completed

Heart Anniversary Completed Side View

I have two more of Nancy's hearts to stitch--Pastel Heart and My Beading Heart.