Stumpwork Sampler FINISHED!!!!!

As I mentioned on Facebook this January, my operating rule for 2014 is that I have to complete a

WIP

(Work In Progress)

for every new canvas I start.  A Daunting task, 

but none-the-less, try I must!

Two weeks ago I realized that it is time for me to start stitching on 

a new Retailers Club that I plan to

 reveal in April/May...

so that meant I had to finish something!  Yikes!  What would it be?

Well I pulled out my Stumpwork Sampler to have a look.

It was close.  Only the outer borders and beading and trim

around the Nosegay left to stitch!  I could do it! 

Here are a few close-up pics:

The Sampler is composed of some of my favorite things.

Each and every item stitched has a special meaning for me.  I can't wait

to have it framed and place it where I can cherish it always!

And just a tiny sneak peek at my Upcoming Retailers Club:

Until next time,

Happy Stitching all!

Kelly's Stump-work Sampler

Good Morning, All!

A Few of my Favorite Things Sampler

I have posted several pics of my Stump-work Sampler piece, above, on Stitcherie, and got to thinking it's about time to blog about it.  The idea came to me last summer (August 2010, to be exact!), when doing some research on Stump-work.
Research?  That's a fancy justification for loading up on books at Amazon.com! Ha-ha! LOL!
Anyway, looking through the books, it became apparent that the majority of the work was coming out of Australia, and was worked on linen, in the form of Traditional Embroidery.  What's up with that?  Hum?
We could work the same type imagery into Needlepoint!  What about a Sampler, of sorts?  A sketch was begun with my vision starting to form.  What should I do? Paint a Canvas?  Well, maybe later...I wanted to get started, immediately!...and it was after 11 pm!
There I was pulling out a piece of Ecru 18 Mesh Canvas, drawing the outlines for the Sampler, pulling threads, figuring out some of the stitches.  Stretcher bars?  I didn't have any the right size!  AGH, Darn the luck!  Not to be stopped, I found an old plain wood frame that was roughly the same size...?  Out came the stapler gun, and I was in business! (Don't worry!  
First time Colleen Church saw the piece, she whisked it away from me and put it on a set of proper stretcher bars!!!)  
Here is the beginning with first few backgrounds started:

and then with Rooster in oval, standing in his Silk Rose Garden:

and Rooster today:

One of my goals with the Sampler was to show the same image in several different forms or stitching techniques.  Hence the Pansy in Silk Ribbon, Silk Floss and dimensionally in Needle Lace on wire!  I will continue to blog about and show different sections and why I added them to the Sampler.  Oh!  I collect Roosters, and they are all over my Kitchen and Family Room!

So, that's all for now, Folks!

Happy Stitching!