Gone Fishing August 16 2014

Stitching "gone fishing"... Began with the background, in a Jacquard Stitch. Too structured for the particular theme that I'm going for...a coastal cottage. Ripped it all out...is it just me, or does this happen to you, too?

So, I tweaked it a bit on graph paper and came up with this new stitch that I'm calling "Wave Stitch".  

Much Better!

The fibers I am using are all from Weeks Dye Works, an environmentally friendly company where everything is made right here in the United States.

Background: #3 Pearl Cotton in #1166 Sea Foam and Cotton Floss #1166 Sea Foam.  The color of Sea Foam reminds me of sea Glass and wave ripples on a pristine beach...perfect for this project! 

Lettering: #3 Pearl Cotton in #1191 Whitewash.

Here's the Stitch Guide for the "Wave Stitch"  

Happy Stitching!

Beach Bucket August 14 2014

The inspiration for my "Beach Bucket" needlepoint design came from a little girl on a California Beach. Armed with several plastic containers and an old retro looking beach bucket, this ambitious little girl and her parents were busily constructing a sandy castle. Yes, that's right, a "Sandy Castle", as she patiently explained to me.  "We've been building them my whole life", she told me. I'm guessing she was about 4.

I sure miss my beach buckets and building castles in the sand. 

Hoping that you get the chance to build a "sandy castle" soon...in the meantime here's my take on a retro "Beach Bucket", inspired by a little girl with an old rusty bucket on a beach. After all, you'll need something to put your beach glass and shells in. There is also a matching mug for some delicious clam chowder. 

The bucket will be about 8.5" tall when stitched, not counting any handle that a finisher might add. The mug? It's a very generous 20oz.! (did I mention it's the perfect size for chowder?) Click on the photos for more information!

On Beach Time August 07 2014