Completed Cross Stitch - Charley Harper's "Cool Cardinal"

 

 

 

The American Modernist nature artist, Charley Harper, has a minimalist style that has definitely stood the test of time.  He has worked with the Audubon Society, various zoos and even the Ford Motor Company and his active years appear to be about the 1950s to 1970s.

 

One of the reasons I point out that his work is timeless is that just for one example "Cool Cardinal" was originally released in 1974; the hand-drawn cross stitch pattern from KD Artistry, Inc. (for Puckerbrush) is from 1985 and finally, here it is again in 2013 in thread and fabric form.

Here is my list of random information bits about this latest completed work:

 

1. Finished size:  15.25" x 4.25"
2. Linen 28 or 32 count, possibly Monster Mash from Picture This Plus
3. DMC white used not DMC B5200; DMC white is more yellow and B5200 is more blue (brighter white) - I only had white on-hand at the time (maybe B5200 might have been too overpowering)
4. Used 3 strands instead of 2
5. Would not recommend linen for geometrical work
6. Kreinik Metallics #032 blending filament used with white (really adds a delicateness to the snow and keeps the overall work from looking too flat or heavy because of the bold colours and lines)
7. Would not recommend this pattern for beginners - too hard to understand some of the instructions
8. Discovered a new technique from this pattern:  the use of interchanging double and single lines of backstitching for effect (that was really cool...no pun LOL)
9. Snowflakes got a little tedious to work on at times
10. And lastly, one time I looked up from this work and saw a cardinal sitting outside my windowsill...awwww

 

I have added a picture of the Kreinik blending filament to show the iridescence because unfortunately it does not seem to show up through the photographs (sorry, I tried several times with natural and artificial light).

Completed Cross Stich - Jamie Leigh's "Kitchen Patchwork"

Frame view and close up view for you

 

This picture does not do this completed pattern justice. I worked this over a very high count fabric. I think I made the mistake of using 2 threads instead of one which caused me to pull and tug at the fabric a lot. However, the colours came out strong and the framer did a great job too. 

If you ever have a chance to try a symmetrical piece similar to this one, it is very refreshing to see the detail in the design come through the finished product.

I completed this over a weekend.

Completed Cross Stitch - Just Nan's "Mermaid Heart"

 

Please click on the above picture for a close up.

 

This particular finish needed a couple of photos to show off the detail.  I did not dye this fabric, if memory serves me correctly, this is PTP Davinci. After buying it, I held on to it hoping that I will find a project that will suit it....and here it is.

The colours are bright enough to stand out on the darker fabric and although you can't see it in the picture, there are rhinestones around the inner square (this comes in the bead kit).

The easy part about working on this cross stitch is that since the pattern is mirrored you don't always have to look at the pattern, you can look at the work already stitched on one side and do the same thing on the other.