Just in time

I got all of my stitching and finishing work done just in time for the Online show! Yay!

Here is the project which would never end, "Dolphins of Delos"

I started it in the fall, and just had to intersperse it with too many other projects. It is actually a very simple design to stitch. The dolphins took no time at all. The bright part of the background is stitched in a scotch stitch, with cross stitch filled in between (blue silk alternating with sparkling blending filament). The border was also simple - just a repeating pattern done in straight satin stitch. I did have a hard time deciding on the colors for it, though. Finally the corners are filled with a Rhodes square and some cross-stitching and the space between the central design and the outer border is filled with smyrna crosses alternating in blue and white. This model was done all in silk, so it was really fun to do, and I used some different weights for texture. It is so vibrant - I love how it turned out. Some people may not immediately understand why two dolphins are pictured on a bright yellow and red background - that is because this design is inspired by mosaics from the Greek island of Delos, so the background is meant to look like a mosaic (also it makes the whole thing brighter than doing it all in blues and greys). Anyway, I'm really happy with the way it came out, and I'm really happy that it is finally done!

Also done and finished are the iFobs:

Each one has the scissor picture on the front and the word "iFob" in the matching color in the back. I stitched the blue and green ones and had a model stitcher do the pink one. I did the finishing on all three - and they are my first ever scissor fobs to do! I'm so proud that they came out! I had to hunt down the right kind of cording because it just had to be white like an iPod! (Finally found it at Hobby Lobby).

I also finally got around to the finishing work on "Dragons Welcome":

My poor model stitcher - she worked to get this done for Nashville, but it couldn't get finished in time. Then of course, I waited until the last minute to do the finishing for the online show. But now it is done. It is so bright and sparkly in person. Do you know how hard it is to make five different looking dragons in one design? And not have it be too big? This is actually the second incarnation of this design idea - the first one never made it past the graph paper stage.

Tonight is the first night of the Online Needlework show. This was the first time I really had to decide what designs to put in the show - we only get twenty slots and I now at close to thirty designs. Crossing my fingers that it goes well.

Now back to the designing with me!