Another Workshop Done

I've been working more on the workshop and decided to finish it too this week (see a theme here?). I've been feeling like I needed to make more progress, so I've been finishing up my smaller things. I always feel a need to get things done with the coming of autumn.

Anyway, I learned something from this project - that I could manipulate rice stitches in different ways; they don't have to all be square and one or two colors. I like the way this turned out, too. I'll be starting on workshop three some time soon.

Crossing the Sides

I completed the second part this week and continued on with the third. There's still a lot of work to do, even though I'm on the last part. Lots of rice stitches left to do, along with the filigree on the four major sides.

Part Three Started

While I haven't quite finished part two yet, I did have floss still in my needle of the right colors to start part three. For part two, gold metallic needs to outline the rice stitch bars. Three is the last part, and, unlike the previouos workshop, it has a lot more work. There are cross stitches on the edges and even more rice stitches. On the other hand, it -is- getting done.

Leave Me Blue

Still working on part two here. I've almost got it done, though. There are some leaves done on the big flowers and the large rice stitch blocks are coming together. I think I'll have this complete before the end of August. I really like this piece.

Some rice stitches started this week - The four large stitches and then the bars of stitches at the top and side. They look like a lot of progress, even though they're very few stitches, because they're huge.

Workshop of the Second Part

I'm getting this done, starting the second of three parts. It has some cross stitches, but a lot more rice stitches. The end is in sight.

Adding Some Rice

I added rice stitches along the border this week. There is supposed to be a marked difference between the one strand and two strand rice stitches, but it's less noticeable that the directions imply. Anyway, the major part of the piece is done. Now I'm gliding down the back half.

Some Gold for the Middle

I finished up all the cross stitches on this and have now started on the specialty stuff. There are lots of bits of gold, so I started with them. With these workshops, the biggest part of the stitching seems to be in the first month's directions, so I should be coming close to completing this, too. Of course, I haven't even started the rice stitches this workshop is supposed to be about yet.

Got Some Gold

I added gold to the middle and finished off all the cross stitches there. Now to just finish the border and I'll be ready for the specialty stitches!

More of the Middle

I got more color done in the middle and some of the variegated edging done, too. I like the colors I've got on this and hope to get it done by the end of June.

Making a Motif

The central area got a lot of work this week as I added in most of the color that was supposed to be a solid DMC. I substituted a Vikki Clayton variegated. I think it looks pretty good in there. Anyway, there's a -lot- to part one, and the group ends in a week, so I'd better get working more.

Beginning the Middle

More color, all blues and greens, as I started the middle of this. I think the design's pretty, although I have a problem with the chart. A large part of the backstitching and special stitches is in gold. It's shown in the chart as yellow lines and is very hard to read.

More Plane Stitching

I started this on the trip from Pristina to Vienna and worked on it some more between Vienna and Paris. Got a lot done! It's the second workshop from Chatelaine, this time focussing on rice stitches. I'm still working on getting the outline done. I really like these colors - I gravitate toward the cool ones. As you can see, though, it's a small piece, so I have a chance of finishing it relatively soon.