More Framing

More framing!
I had these two framed alike and they hang together as you see them.
The top one is Tony Minieri's Stars for a New Miullenium.
The bottom one is Pamela Gardner's From Molehill to Mountain.
I used my own color scheme for both of them.

Stars For A New Millenium FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy, happy, happy dance!!!!  Stars For A New Millenium is finished!!  We went ahead and completed the last two squares and the borders, and it is finished!!  Wahoo!!

These last two squares seemed to take forever!  Ingred Bergman (the one on the left) had a lot of couching which is very slow going.  And Gary Cooper, on the right, had many layers & changes of color.  But they sure turned out pretty!

Here is the whole thing finished!  Be sure to check out Jan's as well!  It is so much fun to see all the different color ways.  I have accumulated pix of quite a few and they are all so different. 

I haven't decided about the framing yet, but I will probably have a mat cut to fit the outer edge.  It'll be awhile before I get that done.

I am very proud to have completed this beautiful piece.

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #12

We're on the home stretch now!  Here is the first square in the LAST row of Stars, Humphrey Bogart.  Humphrey went quite quickly and, typically, there was a surprise at the end!  The last things to be stitched were the Spratts Variations in the darkish brown.  They changed the look of the whole square!  That's the sort of thing I love about Tony's designs.

Two more squares & some border to go and it'll be finished.  Be sure to check Jan's  blog for her version.

Here's a photo of the whole thing:

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #11

We are 3/4 finished with Stars!  Only 3 more squares & the remaining border to do.  I wish we could finish by the end of the year but I don't think that's gonna happen!

Ava Gardner is a pretty square isn't she?  Tony tricked me though:  I was excited to be done with the Trebizond, only to be confronted with Patina for this square.  I hate rayon thread!  Looks pretty though.  Anyway, Ava is done & I also completed all of the little squares between the sashings. 

Be sure to check Jan's progress as well.  Such fun that these two are so different!  Below is my total piece to date:

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #9

Sorry I haven't posted for awhile.  I've been stitching away though.  I'm working on a couple of new Bargello designs as well as Stars.

Deborah Kerr is finished.  This is the first square in the 3rd row.  It turned out nice I think.  The outlining was supposed to be in one of the aquas, but I chose a copper Kreinik metallic instead.  It looks better I think than the aqua would have.

Be sure to check out Jan's version too!

Below is the whole thing so far:

Stars For a New Millenium, Progress #7

Cary Grant is finished.  I like this one pretty well.  I am just enchanted with Tony's layered stitches.  Each one is a surprise that isn't fully revealed until the stitch is complete.  In this square, I particularly like the long triangles in the corners.   Don't forget to check out Jan's version too!
Here's the whole thing so far.  Oh look, I'm half way there!  I have decided to wait & do all the sashing corners at once at the end.

Stars For a New Millenium, Progress #6

Eva Marie Saint is finished.  This is my least favorite square so far.  When it was finished, I though it looked really bland & blah, so I added some backstitching in copper metallic along the lines of the center "star".  That helped a little.  I didn't quite finish the sashing around it.  These pictures aren't as good as usual cause I didn't bring the "good" camera along to Reno.  I just have the old little one & it sure doesn't take as good pictures!

Anyway, here is progress so far:

Be sure to look at Jan's progress as well.  It is so fun to see the differences!

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #5

Marlon Brando is finished!  What a gorgeous square this turned out to be.  I am just in love with it!  It is my new favorite square!  First the center had me entranced, then the use of Flair really got me excited, and finally the shading in the corners just blows me away! 
I have used Flair before, and never really cared for it.  But now I may have to revise my opinion! 
Anyway, on to the next square! 
Here's what the whole thing is looking like now.  I am working sashing & borders as I go now and once I finish the next square I will start working the sashing corners. 

 Don't forget to check out Jan's version!

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #4

I have made a little bit of progress on Stars.  The sashing between the squares is complete for the first row, except for the little joining squares which I won't do till I get the next row done.
 
The border has a good start.  That inner border is stitched with 3 strands of Splendor and takes forever!  But I think it is looking nice.  Be sure to compare to Jan's which has a much different look! 

I am not thrilled with the aqua for the outer border - I think it is too light.  So, rather than change anything now, I am thinking that I will add another rust border, or maybe an overdye, around to square off the piece so it will be even all the way around instead of having things sticking out!  I won't decide about that till I am finished though.

I am enjoying working on this project.  It is a lot of fun and full of surprises!

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #3

I worked on Stars all day yesterday and finished Vivien Leigh!  I think she is as pretty as her namesake!  The center turned out so pretty with a base of Flair topped with a wool twisted cross thingy.  Every square, I think something isn't going to work and it always does!  I guess that is why this project has had such a long run!  Tony must be very proud of this design.


I also got started on the Sashing, choosing a darker shade than I thought I would.  I tried a couple of things & settled on this one.  Here is the whole thing to date:

Be sure to check out Jan's version as we are working this together, well as together as you can be over 500 miles apart!  I think Jan is actually way ahead of me but we take pictures as we go so we can post at the same time.

Stars For A New Millenium, Progress #2

Clark Gable is finished!  This square went quickly, except for the couched inside corners.  Those little corners are made of Trebizond couched with 2 strands of silk floss.  I didn't think I would like them, but once they were done they are fine & coordinate nicely with the little dark squares in Marilyn!  the outer corners are stitched in Oriental Stitch.  You can hardly tell in the picture, but it is worked in 2 shades & I think one is too yellow. I'll probably take it out & redo it.  Next up will be to get started with the sashing and borders. 

Here are the 2 squares I have finished so far.  Now for the fun part:  Go to Jan's blog and see her progress.  She has started the sashing so we aren't quite together, but it is so fun to compare!  Jan's is so much brighter than mine, but I'm happy with both.

Stars For A New Milleneum, Progress #1

Oh Boy!  Jan & I have started our Stars!  Here is my first day's start on Square #1, Marilyn Monroe.  I fell in love as soon as I finished the center with the overdye.  Gorgeous!  No problems so far.  I am using metallics for all of the D threads (those of you who are stitching (or have stitched) Stars will understand!) which as far as I have been able to tell, is unusual.  At least in this square, I really like the metallics.

The next day I was able to complete this square.
I really like it!  I think it turned out great & I can't wait to tackle the next square.
Be sure to check out Jan's version, it is quite different and very pretty!

I am going to work the next 2 squares before I start on the borders and sashing as I think I want to use a lighter shade for the sashing than what is called for.

It may be awhile though.  I am working on several things, with deadlines, that I can't even tell you about yet.  But all of my personal needlepoint has to go on hold.

Stars For A New Millenium

Like so many others, I am going to do Tony Minieri's Stars For A New Millenium.  I finally have accumulated most of the threads.  Of course, I changed the colors (I know you're surprised :-) ) and am returning to my old favorites aqua & copper.  I had quite a search to find the "right" shades & threads, but I think I've got it now.  I'm sure I'll be making changes as I go along. 

Next will be to get the eggshell canvas cut & mounted on stretcher bars & to figure out where I want to start!  I'm thinking of starting with the first square rather than the borders, but I have to study it some more now that I have all my threads. 

I don't know when I'll be able to start stitching this, and Jan (Thread Medley) is going to stitch one at the same time, like we did with Mediterranean Tile.  I imagine it'll be a few weeks or a month at least before we can get started on it.  Jan will be using a different color scheme too!