WORKING, WORKING, WORKING! GOTTA GET THE NEXT LESSONS READY!
Well my little retreat has come and gone quite quickly I must say. It was a much needed break and a wonderful way to have a little time with my daughter as well.
Now back to reality!
In a few days we will be posting the next set of lessons for our
Online Mystery Classes! I just can't seem to describe how much fun I have stitching these guys and the enjoyment I get from sharing them with you. This past month I played withs sharing some WIP videos and they seemed to be accepted well. Stay tuned next week for a sneak peek at what the various lessons have turned out to be!
RIVERBOAT STITCHING CRUISES
We are creeping up on our new riverboat stitching cruise for this year! It is hard to believe that time is almost here. Stitching Down the Danube is slated for
October 21-31, 2018. We will be flying into Prague; have night of classes while at the hotel; move on to Germany, Austria and Hungary - stitching along the way! Here is a brief look at the wonderful SS Beatrice that will be hosting us!
Blue happens to be one of my favorite colors! Isn't she beautiful! And stitching room abounds! Can't wait to get to play on her with all my stitching buddies.
Our cruise is so breathtaking! Some things to consider when shopping for a stitching cruise. Keep in mind that from the time you step on the boat until you step off the boat at Budapest,
everything travel related is included. That means all the excursions (yes, you read that correctly - all the listed excursions are included - some custom excursions are available for those more adventurous and with much more energy than I), all transfers, tips, all the wine you could possibly drink (yes, you read that correctly too!), unbelievable meals, continuous snacks, onboard entertainment and - get this - they even give us
$100 to spend onboard! On what, you might ask, if all is included - well, there just so happens to be a wonderful gift shop that has extraordinary items - jewelry, clothing, watches, pens, I believe I even saw some golf items but I was too busy scoping out the Swarovski crystal necklaces and bracelets to linger in that area. (Oh, did I mention that hubby never even saw his $100 gift - yes, each ticket holder gets the gift.)
All our included excursions were on very comfortable buses when the event dictated using one. All the guides are so caring and definitely looked out for us. Those of us who are 'gentle walkers' (isn't that a cute name to give us) really appreciated their care and concern for our well being as they saw to it that we did not miss anything along the way while traveling at a more - shall I say - relaxed pace!
We have the optional class exclusive canvas design painted for us by Kate Dickerson. This is painted from a picture of actual castle ruins in Austria! It is so exciting. I am stitching away to get the materials gathered so that I may offer it to you as an optional class! It is painted on 18ct mono canvas.
An optional mini-workshop is the kumihimo class where we will be making a beautiful bracelet. There are so many wonderful colors - the class kit will be the luck of the draw colorwise but there are also optional thread kits available to choose from for purchase. This class and kit is going to be so much fun and when we are finished we will have a new piece of jewelry and a finished project to show for our efforts!
In addition here are some of the colorful options for extra bracelets.
And, in addition to these classes, there is going to be a beautiful, useful surprise class! No charge. So fun.
And there will be other mini-workshops as well.
But, don't despair! You do not need to take a class. You are free to bring a canvas of your choice and if you are in the paid stitcher group you can join us in our stitching adventures! We'll have more to share as time draws closer.
We would love to have you join us. I understand that the staterooms are about filled so don't linger if you are interested. Contact our travel agent - Liz at Viking Travel - lwolak@vikingtvl.com or email me with questions as well at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com.
WHIRLWIND SETTLING!
This has really been a wild time for me these last few months. I am hoping to be able to focus a little more now that I have returned from FL. Don’t get me wrong – I love, love, love traveling to new places and meeting new students, but every now and again I need to revisit my hubby of 56+ years – right?
I thought this would be a great opportunity between class postings to share a little information with you. Anyone who ever takes any of my classes – whether they are f2f, correspondence, cyber, etc. – have probably figured out that some of my favorite go-to threads are from Planet Earth Fibers.
I frequently call upon Planet Earth Silk when I need really good coverage. The colors are luscious. While I occasionally use this thread on 18ct fabric, it is best on 13/14 ct . (which seems to be becoming more and more popular for those of us who are looking back at our 50
thbirthday). I think there are something like 225 colors in this line.
It is no secret that I am the biggest cheerleader of Pepper Pot Silk. Oh my goodness what a treat to work with. I use it constantly. If anyone listens I sing its praises. The only problem for me with this thread is that the colors are food names – hmmmm. If I said Planet Earth Silk was luscious, they pale in comparison to my fav – Pepper Pot Silk (Pepper Pot Silk has a unique color line. completely different than Planet Earth Silk, 6 ply silk or the Merino. Of course, the basics red, white, black and blues may cross over)! This line of threads has approximately 226 colors. And, I might add, they continually add new temptations.
Probably one my most asked questions about Pepper Pot Silk is how do you separate it. You DON’T! It is manufactured to use just as it comes from the skein. Now, there are times we might work to pull out a bit for a special stitched area for dimensional effect but we do so with the caution that we are weakening the thread and if we do this we must live with our own created consequences. So, really, just don’t do it. Use one of their other compatible plied threads.
PE6 is a fantastic thread for controlling the volume of the stitch. This 6-ply silk also comes in the scrumptious colors across the spectrum (about 85). This thread is to be laid while stitching. When used properly the sheen and finish on your stitching is to die for.
One of the best kept secrets in my opinion is the tonal ribbon manufactured by Planet Earth Fibers. These silk ribbons provide an easy way to incorporate shading to ribbon embroidery and do it beautifully. There are 40 colors available in 4mm, 7mm and 10mm.
Here is a sample of a bouquet we recently used on one of our Online Mystery Classes – Steampunk Cat. Aren’t these roses scrumptious?
Even though I stitched these I am in awe of the wonderful affect the silk ribbon helped produce for the end product.
There are many other threads in this line as well such as Planet Earth Opal, Variegated threads in the PE6 line and Pepper Pot, the so soft and luxurious Merino Silk, and on and on.
Oh, and I certainly cannot overlook Furr-Fuzz-Funn - what a hoot - so cool! Animals will never be the same - and they are just the beginning of uses for this thread.
For shops, their customer service is top of the line. Their turn around time is fabulous! It is a great company with which to do business.
For my stitchers, please visit your local needlepoint shop and check out these threads. I truly believe you will fall in love with them as I have.
Anyway, for many of my followers, these are yet undiscovered threads. Please try them out when you come across them – you will not be sorry!
Have a great weekend - - -
