Sacred Geometry.

I keep seeing amazing things with needlework and fiber art that is more geometry based.  I love this stuff so I had to try some out.

Little project between larger ones.

A little box from target.  I used a hammer and a very small screwdriver to make the holes, some crochet thread instead of embroidery floss and just winged it.

A piece of scrap booking paper.  I love this design no matter how its presented.  Again, crochet thread. 

I was thinking of doing a couple things like this for an upcoming art show I will be participating in.

You think?

Free "Hue" Cross Stitch Pattern

Recently my color wheel has gotten some attention. (Thanks DMC Blog!)  I still plan to make this at some point.  It's just too big and requires time to get the colors just right.  If the colors aren't just right, I won't make it. 

This smaller color wheel is exactly right.  I love these colors and I'm very proud of this little guy.

This was originally going to be C for Color Wheel, but because the colors are so true my Art School Husband explained that these are really just hues.  Primary and secondary.  After some more investigation I learned that this is what is called additive color.  The traditional artists paint palate and what we learned as kids.  Blue/Yellow/Red.  The more colors you add, the darker it gets.  See the black middle.

The other type is used with light, like monitors and television sets.  It's called Subtractive color.  The more colors you add the lighter it gets.  Hense, the white middle. 

Interesting huh?

Anyway, here is the pattern.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Red - 666
Yellow - 307
Blue - 710
Orange - 740
Green - 909
Purple - 550
Black - 3799
Lettering - 3799

One more note - 
I'm sure you noticed I didn't use black for black.  I used the darkest gray.  This is because I feel  like the black (310) is thin.  Maybe it's just me.  But I feel like I can see more white when I use it.  I wanted this to be very rich.  Just my preference  :)

Comment for a PDF.  :)

Free "Value" Cross Stitch Pattern

This was the first one I did so It will be the first I give away.  :)

I wanted something clean and simple and beautiful.  First I was thinking about camera terms like aperture and f-stop and light meter.   All things I want to play with in the future.  

Naturally I then went to color and texture and tone and VALUE. 

Value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a certain area. Value can be used for emphasis.

Values are added to colors to create what you and I see as the different colors within true color. The difference between a powder pink and deeper rose pink. 

Like this -

Credit

Depending on what website or book you look at the scale has a few or many light to dark shades.  I settled on 5 for the sake of the piece.

The DMC colors are (left to right)
762, 415, 414, 371, 3799

The lettering works best as a middle gray.  I didn't do this, but I think that was a mistake.  I would suggest using 317.

As always, comment below for a pdf of the pattern and color selections.  

Wish me luck!

Elements of Design Flash Cards

This is likely going to become a series.  Whether or not I do them ALL is something completely different.  I want to design the rest of the alphabet.  That would require me to read a lot more about design and color theory.  That's much of the reason I want to do it.  

These particular cards are for the Back to School Stitching Competition.  I really enjoy this site and this idea. 

I had a completely different design I was going to embroider having to do with cameras, I ditched the idea and started Value two days after my son was born.  The deadline was 10/15 but got extended to 10/20 (thank you!) so that gave me "enough time" to do Hue also.  

Stay tuned for the free patterns and color suggestions!

RuPaul Cross Stitch!

Just a friendly reminder. Do you have a deadline? A date? A new project to complete? A new dress? Well, you better work it!

Made to fit in 8X10 frame using 14pt cloth. Green lines denote 10 spots.

This is for sale on my Esty, but since I just gave life I thought I'd give a little love too.  :)

I trust you all know about right click save as.  If not, leave me a comment about who you will be making this for and I will send you the pattern as a PDF.  

Longest Project Ever!

The little dude decided to show up. He was only 2 days late so I guess I can't complain too much. I wasn't expecting this dark haired, laid back, just-happy-to-be-here little man. My daughter and son have very different personalities right from the start.

He is amazing. You should get one.

Thanks for all the congrats on the little dude.  He's fed and asleep so I'm back to stitchin.  I've only got a few days to finish my flashcard.  :)

update - 
12 days old.  He's a beaut.

I'm having a baby!

Very soon.  :)

Off the crafty subjects, but ... YAY!

Three days before Violet was born and on Wes' due date.

I can't wait for the next photo.  :D

My New Lacey Fall Scarf

Of course I have scarves, but not THIS scarf.

My hair is very short, here is my and my daughter today.

Yeah, my ears are already cold in the Chicago gloom happening today.  Which I love by the way.

I got this book in the mail a few days ago.

I bought it solely for this scarf.  

I'm always looking for things to crochet that aren't for babies or super traditional.

I picked up some Caron Simply Soft (because the pattern called for Caron Spa and Joann's didn't have it and I'm super impatient)in Charcoal Heather.

There is a time and place for Owl newborns hats and I really just want to crochet something that a fashionable adult would like to wear.  This is harder to do with crochet than knitting.

I might need to learn to knit.  Uh-oh.  

:some times passes:

WHALA!

The bulk took about and hour and a half and the fringe took another hour to attach.  

I like it. :)

Embroidery: The Process.

In my recent experiments in cross stitch I remembered how much I loved the freedom of embroidery.  You can change your mind about anything a second before you do it.  

I like that freedom.

So to get me back in the groove I've decided to participate in the &stitches Back to School Embroidery Contest. Basically it's a call to create a flash card.  Simple enough that so many outstanding things can be created.  :)

&Stitches is a blog I have really grown to love recently and I'm excited to join my first competition.

They have some great prizes, but honestly, I'm more happy to try an idea on and see how it turns out.  I like a challenge. A chance to think outside the projects I have going on about at the moment.

Here I will share my little process for embroidery.  

When I began I would get these...

Now, there is nothing wrong with these.  But I have a craft M.O. I will try the recommended beginners level.  Once.  Do it correctly and skip about 5 levels and try that next.  

I like a challenge.  

It's just how I learn.  I mean, it's not life or death. Its fabric and thread. 

So I will make a pattern or download it from an awesome website, like Urbanthreads.com.  (<3)

Hook my laptop into my extra-special-embroidery-design-tracing-monitor. It's an old monitor with plexiglass taped onto it so I can put the fabric directly on to it and trace.  It's a modified light box and works perfectly.

I use a fine point disappearing ink pen.  They are about 6 bucks in the sewing gadgets part of your craft store. WORTH IT.

And it looks like this.

I picked out my fabric and thread.  

I have a simple design, it's about something somewhat technical  I want to keep it clean and just think about keeping the work neat and well done.  Not many bells and whistles here.  

Hoop it and dig in. 

I'm doing a whole lotta raised satin stitch.  It's going to be PRITTY!

Stay tuned!