Framed Goldwork Bird

I found a suitable frame and framed my Goldwork Bird. I hesitated to post the pictures. It didn't matter how I turned the picture or where I put it I was not satisfied with the result, but here it is...

I'll keep it, even though I don't like this greyish-bluish background, but it was not my choice of fabric...

Natalia

Big Sky Country - Beautiful Montana

You have to be in Montana to understand literally what it means "Big Sky Country". It doesn't matter what season is, the sky in Montana is always high and big.

It doesn't matter what season is, the mountains in Montana are gorgeous!

Mountains and sky. They will continue to inspire and provoke us with wonder, joy, and fear as well.

to be continued...

Dollhouse Miniature Needlepoint Rug BLOOMING CARNATIONS- New Pattern of the Month

This month of May, when everything around is in blossom, inspired me on creating a new dollhouse miniature needlepoint rug that I called BLOOMING CARNATIONS.

Blooming carnations fill up the medallion of the rug. Apple in blossom surrounds it bringing joy and happiness of Spring. The big colorful roses in the main border symbolises the garden of Eden that is protected by four dragons placed on the corners of the rug.

365 x 530 stitches

It measures:

if stitched on 40 count silk gauze - 9.13" x 13.25" or 23,18 x 33,66 cm

if stitched on 49 count silk gauze - 7.45" x 10.82" or 18,92 x 27,47 cm

This pattern is available at my website

and Etsy store.

Chasing the Rainbow...

Spring has sprung. Finally...

Last April was rainy and cold, but we didn't see it and didn't feel it. Most all the month of April we spent outside of Washington state enjoining warm weather in Utah, Arizona and California. I want to show the pictures of some places we've visited and some things we've seen.

As I mentioned, we left Washington state in rain that was following us through Idaho till we reached Butte, Montana.

It was hard to see through the windshield, this is how hard it was raining. I almost fell asleep sitting on the passenger's seat listening the kid's radio station when I saw something in the grey picture in front of me, something colorful. I grabbed my camera and took a picture. In the grey mass and sky tears' drops I saw a little rainbow.

It was growing up with each mile we drove.

It changed its shape, intensity and length each minute. We literally were chasing it. One minute it was so far from us and

another - so unbelievably close, I thought I would touched it with my hand.

Have you ever had a feeling you are about to touch the rainbow? That was the moment...

... and next moment: what has just happened? It was right here!!! Why the rainbow ran away?

Oh, not a fair! We have to go different direction! May be next time we will catch it. There is always time to chase the rainbow and there is always a hope one day you can touch it!

after summer's rain
God's promise is remembered
glorious rainbow

(Gen 9: 8-17)

to be continued...

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

Other Than Miniature Needlework

My passion to miniature needlework brought me to another level, or, I would say, direction. I've always been interested in Goldwork. You might want to ask how do they relate to each other?

One day I tried to experiment with Goldwork embroidery in miniature and finish a miniature Or'nue design. My adventure brought me to the conclusion that I need to learn more about metal thread embroidery.

I've signed up with EGA's (www.egausa.org) correspondence course "Metal Thread Embroidery" by Kay Stanis. I was happy to know this course was written by Kay Stanis, an internationally known Master Craftsman, Certified and Graduate Certified Teacher of the Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc. (EGA) and Kurenai Kai Traditional Japanese Embroidery (www.the-gilded-edge.com/about). I was more than thrilled to know that Kay is planning to give classes at the end of April in Spokane and I will have a chance to meet her.

I commited to start my 6 months course on the 1st of April (no Fool's day for me) and today I received my first lesson

The most exciting part about the course is that there is no Supply List. I am allowed to use whatever I want, whatever I find. I've already collected a nice stash of gold and silver metal threads, cords and trims. What you can see on the picture is just a small part of my collection.

I am planning to give a detailed report of my studying process on my another blog that is devoted to needlework in real size www.needleworkobsession.blogspot.com. I use that blog as my diary learning process.

I am also looking forward to start working on beading a little Orthodox icon - St. Natalia the Miracle-Worker.

It will make a nice gift to my little daughter, Nataly.

Thank you for visiting my blog!
Natalia

Dollhouse Area Rug "Istanbul" - New patterns

Today I would like to show you my new dollhouse miniature area rug needlepoint patterns. I called this rug "Istanbul" and there are 3 patterns based on the same design. All 4 patterns are united by the use of the same elements of Turkish carpets: tree of life, birds, stars, dragon, fertility sign... The main theme of the rug is life, fertility and their protection.

Before to present the rugs to you, I would like to give a brief history on it.

Turkish carpets were first rugs to be imported into Europe. Turkish designs owe much to Persia on the one hand and to the Caucasus on the other, often seeming to meld the curvilinear floral arabesques of the former with the geometric shapes and strong colors of the latter to produce style that is truly Turkish rather than purely derivative.

Turkish rugs rarely include human or animal figures, relying instead on such geometrical forms as the star, the diamond, flowers (tulips, carnations, etc...). Turkish borders also show the same blend of angular and flowing lines.

The colors in Turkish rugs are often brighter and richer than those in other oriental carpets.

Each rug measures approx. 5" x 7" if stitch on 40 count silk gauze and has 205 x 275 stitches.

ISTANBUL 1

ISTANBUL 2

ISTANBUL 3

And for those who likes to challenge themselves here is long runner that measures approx. 5" x 11" if stitched on 40 count silk gauze.

This is such a versatile pattern that allows to make different patterns, for example for pillows, chair seat covers...

I hope you like my new designs and will enjoy stitching them.

Have a great day!
Natalia

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

I saw the colors

The day has seemed to be gloomy today. In spite of the fact that Jim had a surgery at the beginning of March and recovery was slow, he can walk better now. Spontaneously we decided to go for a little hike to the Little Spokane River trail, or as we call it, Snake trail.

We never made there. Why? Oh no, not because of snakes we saw last spring, even though that disturbing feeling never leaves me, but because it was me who was leading today, :))) I stopped somewhere on the road where I spotted a path deeply in woods.

It is hard to call it hiking. I mean that path we took today. It was only about 4 miles, but in the area we didn't know. Apparently, no woods, and it appeared that it was a restricted area as well, but we figured it out only on the way back making a loop, where we could see a sign "PROHIBITED. NO TRESPASSING". Oops!

It was a little bit boring as well and I didn't take many pictures as I usually do.

I don't know the name of this little fellow, but he was only alive thing around, so I tried to capture the beautiful colors of his feather.

Beautiful, but boring too, :))) He was sitting still and with his back to me, and I wanted to see him flying, yarning, singing, chasing a worm, whatever... I wanted to see LIFE...

Probably it was too boring for me or so I thought. Closer to the place where I parked the car, we saw a couple escorting their dog not on a leash, or vise versa, a dog was escorting its masters not on a leash. I was so engaged in the conversation with my hubby gesticulating and marching that didn't notice the dog cowardly went around me and bit my left hand. The dog probably didn't like my hand or it looked like a sausage. The bite was light, no traces of teeth or blood, but it definitely took my attention, :)) I could only whisper: "OH, MAMA!". A lady of the dog laughed out loud trying to make me believe IT was playing with me... I need vacation...

Oh, well! back to the hike...

It was afternoon, the spring is definitely somewhere in the air, you can feel it, or see it, :)))

Do you feel it? No? Did you click the picture to enlarge it?

There you go!

Can you see it? There, far away... there is Spring, and it is close, it is coming...

I guess, I can't complain on weather, because I know that many different parts of the world are still covered with snow... At least, it wasn't raining on the trail. It started raining when we drove back home. After rain stopped, we saw huge beautiful rainbow across the road. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to take a picture - I was driving and my camera was on the back seat.

It was nice to get out. Even though hike was not serious, we made our blood pumping, got fresh air, got to experience different emotions, talked to my Mom, and saw the colors...

Any colors in your life?
Natalia

Nothing Is So Beautiful As Spring...

I feel like I fell down of the Earth. I had to take a timeout to deal with some health problems in our family.

I am not going to bore you to death with all details, just wanted to thank those who didn't hear from me for a long time for your patience and understanding. I am slowly returning back to work, my commissions and new projects.

Today I wanted to show you my last work that has been already sold. This is not my design, I stitched it on 40 count with DMC. Frame by Jim Coats.

I had a lot of fun stitching this design, the bright colors brought the sunshine and made the process of stitching fast!

We have an early spring over here, but the days are still grey most of the time. Soon I will enjoy dozens of different colors of tulips that I planted last year. Spring brings colors.

Nothing can be so beautiful as Spring...

Feeling re-born...

Mini hugs,
Natalia