Needlebook WIP

As promised pics of my needlebook which is still in progress. I have to go search for my wool felt and autumn fabric in the garage this weekend.

I also need to make a run back to the cross stitch store for more overdyed threads in this color.
Today was great for threads though via the mail and Ebay. Lovely Carrie's Creations threads and some Valdani as well. Photos of those tomorrow..

New Project

Started a new project, this time a needlebook. I have wanted one for a long time and finally thought up one I like. I went to my local cross stitch store and found Weeks Dye Works overdyed thread and bought some. This color is called Tobacco Road. When I went to print  out the lettering I searched through my fonts and found one named Tobacco Road. Those two just had to go together I guess..It is a WIP and I'm having fun with it. I'll be posting photos of the work so far soon..

Also I got a copy of the book Stitch-opedia by Helen Winthorpe Kendrick in the mail Monday. I checked and it hasn't been released on Amazon  yet, I purchased mine through my online book club. I was so excited to get it and when it came and I went through it I was disappointed.

The focus of the book is embroidery in all its forms, stumpwork, hardinger, blackwork, etc. However as an embroidery book I had hoped it would have a stronger how to section and a deeper well of stitches to learn. The introduction section in the first part of the book was I felt sadly lacking, the thread information amounts to a paragragh or two, a tiny blurb on needles, and the illustrations while plentiful weren't all that helpful to show how to accomplish the stitches. I frequent the Hand Embroidery Network blog and their stitch examples far out do this book in clear, concise and easy to understand instruction. Finally the sample projects in the back of the book were uninspired and in some cases not very attractive. The book itself is filled with beautiful photographs of embroidery art from around the world, it would have been nice to see at least some of the sample projects at that level and more attractive in motif. The book title includes "The only embroidery reference you'll ever need" unfortunately I'm still on the hunt..I'll give it a C-...

Latest project..

Just finished my latest project and I really like how it came out. I designed it myself with the help of Microsoft Word, Word Art and printed it out, traced it on fabric with a transfer pen and voila! I used just some plain white cotton fabric and two DMC variagated threads in green and purple (two strands). I basically just played with different stitches and this is how it came out. I still need to get better pics these were off my phone..