More Framing, Pt 2

Finishing up what I started yesterday, here are (most) of the rest of my current framing adventures...

First up is Glendon Place's Mixed Berry Cheesecake.  I still flove it to death, and although the picture makes it look greenish, the frame is actually silver with plummy accents:

Next is my beloved Dracula.  It's hanging in the bedroom (I had a perfect spot for it).  It has the same 'double frame' style that Tapestry does, with the black frame with red scrollwork acting as a mat to the regular black frame around it.

And finally, Regal Peacocks by Teresa Wentzler.  I started this in 2000 and finished in 2001.   I really liked the same inner frame we used with Tapestry for this one;  people who have seen it in person really like the piece overall, which also makes me feel good about it.

I remember, once upon a time, that a friend came to visit my place with her son.  She was someone I met on the TWBB, and because I had nothing on the walls remotely resembling stitching, the son remarked "I thought she was a stitcher?" or something along those lines to her.   I'm happy to say that if anyone came to visit my place now, they would definitely know that a stitcher lives there, and that makes me happy.

More Framing, Pt 1

I thought I'd share some more framing (not all, I think I forgot to take pictures of Ferret Knot and Celtic Christmas, though I'll get there, too), because I have a lot of pictures, I'll break it up into a couple of posts...

First up is Tapestry by Ink Circles.   Nick actually framed it using two frames - the inner is like a mat, which is pretty cool!

Next up is Immaculate Heart by Ink Circles, which is probably one of my very favorite pieces of all time.   Because it feels so medieval to me, I wanted a really heavy frame, which is what I got!  It has that hand-scraped, irregular feel to it, which is absolutely perfect.

This first pic is a little washed out - it was hard taking pictures because it was pretty late/dark.

Next is a Commemorative Needleroll by Chatelaine Designs.
Martina came to visit Houston in 2005, and it was really interesting meeting her at Jo's (formerly of Dinky Dyes) house.   I finished this in 2005, but I redid the initials in 2014.   Right now it's my only finished Chatelaine, but I love it.

Desert Sunrise, Sunrise II, and Sunset (a kind of TBT)

I didn't get a chance to show off my finished Desert Sunrise, because I finished it and handed it off for framing at Nick's.  I did get her back, and the sister pieces!

I bought the three Desert pieces from Fireside Originals at Ginger's Needlework in Austin when I lived there in the late 90s.   I finished the first one in 2001 on the recommended Feather Blue(?) 18 ct aida.  Years later I decided I wanted to do them on evenweave because I don't like the look of aida when it shows in the piece.   The problem is that I couldn't find a perfect match with the Feather Blue aida, and because I don't have an LNS, I ended up having a lot of different 36ct blueish greys - I stick to the 36ct because I really wanted all three pieces to be the same size. 

Nick is (of course) a genius and came up with this stunning framing combo.  I didn't even realize that mat cores came in some of these colors.  All of the black mats have different colored cores, and he matched as well as he could, and I think they came out great.  The rough country wood look to the frame is just perfect.  Even the OtherHalf really liked them.

I can't wait to figure out a place to hang all three of these beauties.   Arizona is one of the places I'd be happy to move back to.

This is Desert Sunrise, by Fireside Originals; Finished in 2001

Desert Sunrise II; Finished 2017

And my very favorite, finished this year; and part of the Year of WIPs :)
Desert Sunset; Finished 2018

So those are my three beauties.  I think I know where I'm going to hang them, but I'm still cogitating on whether I think it's a prominent enough spot, because I'm super proud of these.

Framing is coming! Framing is coming!

In the past, I've gotten a few things framed at Nick's in Mesa (? I think it's Mesa, I visited my friends in Phoenix and they took me there).  Well!  One of my friends was in town (sorta) for work, and we met and had dinner.   She offered to take some of my stitching to Nick's since we're going to see each other again in a couple of months and I can fly home with my pieces (vs having them shipped like last time).  We didn't go to Nick's the last time a bunch of us were in Phoenix because he was ending his business, but for reasons he hasn't actually closed up yet.  Yay for us!

So we did some framing-by-text, but luckily Nick is pretty damn awesome and the options I got were pretty awesome from the beginning and I was happy.

First up is the Dracula book cover, which I finished earlier this year (and hey, this picture is really a color accurate photo of that Aries by Sparklies that I adore).   He is actually using two frames to make this, one frame acting like a kind of mat, which is WAY awesome.   This was so good that it was an immediate yes.   And to be honest, it's my favorite framing thing from everything that's getting done.

Next up is Ferret Knot by White Willow Stitching.   The other option had a frame that didn't have that gold edge, and I like the way it breaks things up.  I also love that suede mat, which I think should work super well with the overdye chocolate that I used in the design.   Much love for this (man these are going to be heavy ;) )

Next is Tapestry by Ink Circles.
And again, it's the double-frame thing.   Annette (link to her flosstube) showed me her Tapestry (or, rather, a photo of it) while we were hanging out a few weeks ago, and I really did like it.  This is the same thing she had done (and I think we've even stitched on the same fabric?  hah!).  We, and some other friends, all stitched on this together at the same time; starting at approx the same time.   It was kind of fun to be bouncing off of each other's progress pictures, and not only is it a gorgeous design, but I will always think of my wonderful friends when I look at it.   I can't imagine a frame I'd like better, honestly. 

Next up is Immaculate Heart (again, by Ink Circles).
It's a pretty small design, and I love the old world/medieval feel of it and wanted a heavy, thick frame to go around it.  And lo'!  This is the option Nick pulled.  So, yes?   Seriously, this guy is a genius.  And luckily this is fairly small so at least one of these will be easy to transport ;)

And finally, I bring you Celtic Christmas by Lavender and Lace/Told in a Garden
I stitched this back in 1998.  At one time, I "finished" it into a cheap Michaels frame using stitch witchery to hold it to the backing board, so there's still residue of that stuff around the edges.   Way back when I "didn't know any better" and what not.  Luckily the sticky stuff isn't anywhere near the stitching, but around the very edges;  it's not like that stuff comes off easily, either.

I don't have a blog post with her in it, but otherwise I stitched it as directed, same fabric, same materials, even that god awful DMC 284Z (I didn't even have to look it up, I remember that stuff!).  I recently hit this piece with a lint roller to try to get any extra dog hair off of it, and that gold started flaking!  So I thought I should get it framed tout-de-suite.

I didn't want it too look too Christmassy (hence the removal of the "NOEL" from above her head), but I stitched her because I love her red dress, so I knew I wanted red in the framing somewhere, but when it was the top mat, it just overwhelmed the framing.   This is eventually what we settled on - this was definitely the piece that took us the longest to pick a frame option for.  It's the costliest one we framed (I think the red is suede, and the tan is a really pretty silk mat, actually), but 1.  she's worth it and 2. it was still a helluva lot cheaper than if I'd framed her at a regular place here. 

I'm quite happy with this choice and now I have to decide if I want to hang her in a public area of my house or just put her above my dresser so I can look at her every day.

So that's the framing that's coming my way.  I should get everything by January at the latest, and I couldn't be more excited/pleased.   I hate to wish ill on Nick, but I hope the issues regarding his shop continue for just a few more months so I have one more crack at framing with him.   Mostly for those desert pieces.

Triforce of Badassery, Framed

I finally got around to framing Triforce.

It was a gift for a friend's birthday, so it seemed a little inadequate to just hand it over.

I special ordered the frame to fit, I wanted a plain black frame, no mat, because I really like how simple the design is.

I decided to not glass it, as I think it would take away from the metallic.

And, of course, I used a black foamcore so that it stayed as dark as possible.

Since it was a fairly easy piece to frame, I went ahead and did it myself.  It's properly pinned and laced (to keep the extra fabric behaving).

I threw it up on my entryway wall to take a quick picture. I'm happy with it.  

Future's Vision - framed! And a tale of framers.

So first off, I got Future's Vision framed.  It's one of my favorite pieces and it's already up on the wall in the lady cave.   I decided to test out a new framer (more about that later), but here it is...

I totally forgot the non-glare glass, so I had to go with extreme angles because there's a nice big window with a lot of light that was reflecting all over the place.  The mats are the colors from the sky and the star, and the frame has a lot of red which brings out the colors in the bricks.

I definitely loved this frame for this piece.

When we were trying out the colors of the mats, I told the framer that I wanted it over the edge of the design, up to the backstitched outline to the whole frame of the piece.  He said he didn't recommend it, and we looked at mats with more space around the piece, and then he framed it up to the edge anyway.  Which.  Ok, I think the yellow should have been a little brighter then, but whatever, I'm still OK with the color.

I'm mostly happy with it.
And this guy advertised on his website that he frames needlework, and when I was chatting with him, apparently it had been his proverbial bread and butter through the 80s and 90s, tapering off in the last 10 years or so.  So he obviously must know what he's doing right?

Which is why it kinda caught me by surprise to find out that he did most of the pieces dry-mounted.

Wait.  What?  I even asked him about lacing/pinning, etc.  No, he dry-mounts small pieces and tapes larger ones.

So I'll never be back there.

Since Nick (the guy that I had frame my other pieces last year) is retiring/has retired, I figured I'd look into local framers.   This guy, well, he was someone I found while googling, specifically looking for needlework framers, and when a Groupon showed up for his shop, I figured it would be a good time to go ahead and try him out.   So at least I got it at a "discount", but I still think he was pricey for what I got.

I have used two other framers in the area, but not for my needlework.  I have plenty of smaller pieces to try out, and they did a great job with some of my other stuff, but now I'll have to put them to the cross-stitch test.

I've heard several stitchers (online) use one of the local framers.  They're a small chain (SC, NC, VA, I think?) and I've liked the several things of mine they've framed.   They've done two small prints and the photo of my grandparents' wedding.  They were even nice enough to use the original mat that the photo came with:

The other framer is a guy that owns a franchise?  He's really nice, and he's actually an artist, so he's really good with color while letting me express my own ideas if I have something I really want.   He's done two prints (one of them several feet long), and my other grandparents' wedding photo (the original tinted). 

He is REALLY good at preservation work (old letters, photos - he's shown me the stuff he's done), so I kinda want to take my stitching to him, wholesale, but I have to test run him.  I'm sure he'd be more amenable to actually learning the correct way to frame needlework since he's an actual artist.  But, the downside is that he's expensive.  

So, yay for getting something framed.   Boo for having something not framed well (boo to myself for not asking better questions first).  I'm not going to take it apart, it's not like it was the best piece in the world and I doubt it's going to become any sort of heirloom anyway.  I'm happy enough with it for me (I still have a couple of early things framed on sticky mat).

Soon I'll have something test run at the Expensive-but-I-love-him framer.  Maybe even my Immaculate Hart.

Too bad the French Knot is out of business, I really liked the framing they did for me.  They closed before I had a chance to take any needlework to them...

framed by The French Knot

Framed Storyteller By Teresa Wentzler

I completely forgot to post this picture!   When I got the rest of my pieces framed at Nick's, I also got Storyteller framed.  Unfortunately, I was not clear on my desire for spacers, so I think there was a bit of a mix up.  I took ST to a local framer I really like (who I just don't use because while he's very good, he's also expensive!) and had him add in spacers.

I got ST back a bit ago, and now I just need to find a place to hang it.  I'm running out of wall space!  (or I need more walls?  Haha!)

Here is the whole thing framed, I just adore that frame.
I stitched Storyteller from 6/29/2001 through 3/17/2002

Framing Part 4 - Letters from Nora - S

A couple of years ago, while visiting friends (there seems to be a theme here), I decided that I was determined to start stitching again.   While I seem to have very little time between social activities and other hobbies, I did miss stitching, and I still have a large portion of my stitching "stuff"

Nora Corbett had a "Letters from Nora" alphabet releasing in parts and the "S" (for Samantha, though I call her Wendy) came out, and I was so happy.   I was worried that I would hate the S fairy, because I really liked some of the letters, and other not-so-much, but she was adorable, the S was adorable, and I really liked the colors.

And it took me 2 years to stitch... hey, a lot was going on!

So when I went on my trip, and I knew that I was going to get something framed, this was, without a doubt, the first piece that popped into my head.   And I'm really pleased with the results.  She's super pretty, and I already knew where to put her in my home.

The whole piece - pretty color correct on my monitor.
She was stitched on antique white linen (I did not like the green called for in the chart)
There is a rusty mat, a pink mat (to pull the pinks in the "tail" of the S), and the top mat is a purple suede.
The framer is a wood that is painted purpley, with the distressed edges.  Much love.

Framing Part 3 - Tywyn Sampler

I cannot, for the life of me, remember when I bought Tywyn Sampler.   I do know I was living in Austin, so sometime between 1996 and 1999, most likely.   I picked it up from Gingers, which at the time was a fantastic cross stitch shop, but has sadly closed.   They were on the bus route from UT, so I could visit without any problems.     I actually bought the chart with the threadpack, so it came with all of the fibres and silver dragon charm in it.

It was my first major silk piece, and it was also my very first cut work.  

I stitched it in 2001 and this piece was an utter joy to stitch from beginning to end.  I love the variegated silks and all of the fun specialty stitches, and the alphabet was fun, too (I used the Welsh instead of the English - though both were charted so you could choose).

I'm also thrilled that I could include my name in the piece as part of a band, rather than having to find some unobtrusive corner to stick my initials in.

Please excuse the overload, this is one of my favorite pieces of all time, and the frame job on it is even better than I thought it would be (not that I wasn't there when everything was picked out, but seeing it all together is just jaw droppingly gorgeous in my opinion)

The whole piece, on the wall... that paint shifts from that tan to a grey in the light and I love the piece on it.

Framing - Part 2 - For Amelia!

This is my second framed piece, and I don't have as many detail shots... I am hoping to add them in later.   Due to what was probably a minor miscommunication, I didn't get the spacers I had hoped (see, hoped, not asked!) for, so I will take care of that with a local framer..

For Amelia was a class that Terry offered years ago at CATS (2001?  I can't remember!).   A friend of mine signed up for the class but didn't want to stitch the piece, so she was kind enough to sell me her kit!

The piece was stitched on Lt Pansy linen by Glenshee Linens, and I learned an important lesson in hand dyed linens (this was my first).   It is all silks and delicas, definitely worth the premium price that I paid.

These are probably so similar I don't need to upload both images, but I am rather proud of her.
There is glass on the piece, I was trying to reduce the glare (it's regular glass). 
I'm not super thrilled with the piece ONLY because there is a lot of purple going on, and I'm not sure how I feel about that, though I love the actual frame.   I'm sure once I find her proper place in the house, I'll calm down... I think my penchant for "conservative" fabrics is playing into my less than utter love ;)

Unfortunately, the designer is no longer designing (heck, no one seems to know where he is), and luckily I have pretty much all of the charts of his that I want (rather, I have all of the charts for pieces I have not done - all of my completed charts I have given away).

I did find an interesting blog post that lists everything he's done, which is really helpful/awesome.  And as far as I can tell, For Amelia is still available as a chart pack at a few online shops.

Framing - part 1 (of 4!) - Luna Moth

I'm splitting up my framing post into 4, because it is a little pic heavy and I wanted to give appropriate weight to each one, because I adore them all :)

Recently I visited some friends, and they had a local framer they really like... So I packed up 5 pieces to take with with me, intending to frame 2, hoping to frame more, depending on the cost.

I ended up framing all 5!   Three of them were easy, obvious choices for me, but in the giant tub of "other pieces" I had to choose... And this is one of the ones I chose -
Luna Moth by Sandra Paradise from the March 2004 issue of Stitcher's World.

I loved the model in the photo, and had a fantastic (small) piece of sky blue evenweave and decided to go with that.  I fussed and complained, because the beads were giving me fits, but I finally finished it in September 1, 2008.    And it's absolutely gorgeous.  The piece is heavy as anything I've ever stitched, but it has a fantastic and beautiful sparkle that cannot be beat.

It was an utter bear to frame.  I wanted matting, and the colors in the Luna Moth presented a unique challenge to the framer.   I kind of hated the greenish linen mat he picked out, but in the end he was right.  Just as I was right to really want the purple mats underneath.  He definitely did a great job, and I love it.

The whole piece - the lighting is a bit off, but I couldn't get the gold of the frame and the green of the mat to play nicely with my camera phone or editing, and I'm too lazy to bust out the Lightroom for this today ;)