New Goldwork Bird Project Is Finished

The whole month of April we spend vacationing and cruising the country. We decided it was the best way to recover from all surgeries and health problems. What a fun it was!

We ended up our vacation in Burlingame, CA where I had my first workshop with RSN on the 19-20th of April - Goldwork Bird - designed and taught by Jacqui McDonald.

During the first day I was able to finish all padding. During the second day we started working with gold thread. Unfortunately I had to leave earlier, because it is a long way to drive to Washington state, and another wonderful class was waiting for me - Japanese Embroidery, but later about it...

Today I finished my Goldwork Bird. It is still stretched on the frame and this is how it looks like now. I haven't given a thought yet how to use the bird, may be I will just frame it.

Jacqui McDonald, who taught the class in goldwork, comes from a background in Conservation and Restoration, showed us 2 different types of padding that are used in Goldwork, a method of applying couched threads, and taught us how to apply Pearl Purl Outlines and Cutwork.

Natalia

Dollhouse Miniature Petit Point Area Rug KAZAK 1/12th scale

Dollhouse Miniature Needlepoint Rug KAZAK 1/12th scale - reproduction of an antique Kazak rug.

Caucasian rugs are the product of the various tribes inhabiting the wild and mountainous district between the Black and Caspian seas.

Most Caucasian carpets use bold, almost primitive, geometric forms, most are bright and colorful, most are small. Many motifs, however, were taken from Persia and Turkey to be rendered in the virale, linear style of the Caucasus.

One of the best-known and popular Caucasian rugs is KAZAK. The geometric pattern of Kazak rugs is bold, often showing more empty ground than other Caucasian carpets. The colors are also bold: red, green, blue, white, brown.

Where does the name KAZAK come from?

First of all, please, do not be confused. Kazak rugs are not woven by Cossacks of Russia or Kazakhs of Kazakhstan. Kazak in it's many spellings refers to a political relationship rather than a tribe. The first use of the term is in the Yuan ch'ao pi-shih which dates to the 13th century. The Kazaks of Kazak were Azeri tribes that tried to maintain their freedom while standing off the Turks, the Persians, and the Russians. When Czar Alexander annexed Kazak, Shams od din, and Borchalu in 1805 the Moslems and Kurds were uprooted. So, When we read Kazak Rug in the rug trade we mean a rug made in what was the Kazak Khanate prior to the Russian capture in 1805.

The dollhouse needlepoint Kazak rug is stitched on 49 count silk gauze with Gloriana silk

Front side of the rug

Back side of the rug

317 x 398 stitches

6.47" x 8.12" or 16,43 x 20,63 cm

Thank you for visiting my blog!
Natalia

Source:
http://www.persiancarpetguide.com/

New Pattern of the Month - Dollhouse Needlepoint Rug VERA

I named this Dollhouse Miniature Needlepoint Pattern VERA to honor my Mom. Translating from Russian into English "Vera" means "Faith".

I started working on this pattern 4 years ago. I charted some borders and corners of the rug. Being impatient by nature, I wanted to see how this rug would look like stitched on silk gauze. I started stitching it.
During last 4 years I kept working on it periodically adding stitch here and there without any inspiration to finish the pattern. This is how my rug looked like last time I touched it in November 2014.

One Saturday at the end of March I picked up the hoop with the framed rug on it and... I knew exactly what to do. It took me about 5 hours to finish charting the pattern: the main border and the field. 5 hours! I've been waiting for that inspirational moment for 4 years!

There are 243 x 421 stitches, Gutermann silk

The rug measures

4.96" x 8.59" if to stitch on 49 count silk gauze

6.08" x 10.53" if to stitch on 40 count silk gauze

If you would like to join me in the stitching progress, you can find the kit available for sale at my etsy store that you can find on the right hand side bar or if you follow the link:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/227958546/dollhouse-miniature-needlepoint-kit-area?ref=listing-shop-header-0

Have a great day!
Natalia

Quarter Scale - Blue Lagoon Cottage

I started working on a dollhouse kit in 1/48 scale from Laser Dollhouse Designs, Inc. The kit is called Little Ann Cottage, but since I see this cottage on the sea shore and in blue colors, I re-named it. Now it is called Blue Lagoon.

Today I'll show a little process. I painted some walls in light blue color

and applied wallpaper

For the floor I used Scale Lumber

I am not sure how to finish the floor yet, but want to have a natural light look.

This is what I have for today after assembling prepared parts together

This is a look from the front side of the cottage

and sides, :)))

I start liking quarter scale!

Natalia