A Cottage For My Sniffles 🏠

 

             When I decided to make this tissue box cover, designed by needlepoint contest favorite, Angela K. Arickx, it was purely out of an admiration for the unique pattern. I have come across many "cottage house" needlepoint on plastic canvas patterns, but somehow this one has a spectacular realism to it. I am also very much a sucker for tissue that looks like smoke coming from a chimney!

             I did not have a recipient in mind for this needlepoint project, and I still don't. I love to come home and see this little house; it reminds that beautiful things like this can be created in any quiet corner of the world.

          I think that the hardest part of this project was putting the smaller roofs (gables) on the top. I know from my experience of making tiny houses that you don't want those lopsided! 

To Fan the Flames of Beauty 🌬️

      This stunningly gorgeous handbag was designed by Debbie Tabor. She has once again out-done herself with needlepoint designs! I first saw this design many moons before I actually began completing it myself. This purse really fueled my decision to purchase the plastic canvas "Totes" book in which it is featured. In case you are unclear, this image is of a woman covering her face with a Victorian-era fan. You can decide for yourself why she is doing this.

       I very much enjoyed making this purse. The inverted sides and bottom are really just little pieces that are stitched together. I went online and bought the ribbon and flowers to complete the look of the purse. I think the most challenging part of this creating process was picking out the colors for the woman's face. There are so many colors there!

        I made the eyebrows a bit bolder than suggested, just to give a more striking look. I, of course, reinforced the handles with an extra piece of mesh. This purse is nothing if not sturdy!

      Like all of my current purses, I made sure to line this one quite pristine. Here we have a white, costume silk that I think blends quite well with the look of the purse.

          I don't know about you, but I think that this handbag can go well with anything. What do you think?

The Cat Locator 🐈

         I was recently commissioned to create a needlepoint door hanger. One of the most adorable designs I have the pattern to is this "kitty locator" that was originally designed by Debbie Tabor. You can check out this pattern book from the link! This confection comes from a needlepoint pattern book of kitty-appreciation-themed boxes and picture frames and even a scratching post. I don't trust the scratching post just because I dislike the idea of creating something beautiful for my cat, just for her to gradually destroy it!

     I was very excited to kick start this project. But just like many crafting experiences, I discovered an extreme inaccuracy in the project pattern, only after cutting out the mesh pieces and picking out the yarn! It turns out that the pattern for one side of this two-sided door hanger was completely reversed, so i had the makeshift that side, as I went along. I am very grateful to have had years of experience doing needlepoint on plastic canvas, because I figured out the problem and solution quite deftly. In the end, I have this beautiful piece that I shipped off to my commissioner, just yesterday!

      Of course, my absolute FAVORITE part of this design is the "backside". It has just enough realism to get the point across, but is not so realistic as to nauseate the onlooker. The tail feature of this piece shows us how beauty and function can be the same. I must say, it can be a plus to know when the kitty is "in" and the kitty is "out"....of the room.

Seahorse Bonanza!

         This "water-themed" bathmat was designed by Darla Fanton. I picked this bathmat to make with the intention to finally create something that I can use. Many times, I have others in mind, and want to impress others with my design choices. As it turns out, this was a fantastic addition to my upstairs bathroom! The colors of the wall and bathroom accessories are light hues, so this bathmat design only complemented that. When creating this, I remember wondering how many seahorses that I could stitch before going crazy! The underside of this bathmat is covered with a sticky paper used for lining cabinets. This was the best I could find at the time and it was a great choice. The book where this design is included also has a matching trashcan design and many others. But I decided that this creation was all I needed - For now.

A House Filled With Tissues 🤧

           The ultimate fantasy for this needle pointer is a pattern book filled with house-shaped tissue box covers. I got my wish several times over! This creation comes from a book of gorgeously intricate cottage houses. I picked this one to give to a special friend. Design credit for this cottage house tbc goes to Meg Evans. As much as I love to see the result of many closely-placed colored roses, I love making them. These roses are a stitch called the french knot. I've grown to perfect this stitch, but I always have room for improvement! I really admire how the designer found ways to differ the look of brick wall from roofing material. Doesn't the tissue just look like smoke coming from a chimney!! I almost want to live in this beautiful thing, but I just wouldn't fit.

Cat Bed Container 🛏️

           Now you just may be thinking that I have now MADE my cat a bed to sleep in! This is not true; that's on my to-do list. This lovely needlepoint creation comes from a pattern book full of various cat-themed household containers. The designer to thank is Darla J. Fanton, with Jean Leinhauser producing the pattern book model. I absolutely love this one because it looks so much like an actual cat is sitting atop her bed.The pattern of hearts under the cat is meant to be a "blanket" for the cat bed. I find that too often the pattern for a cat's face looks a bit odd or creepy - not the case here! I recall the difficulty in constructing the "weaved" bed. I had to use actual raffia yarn to stitch onto the mesh. This was a daunting task because this particular yarn is quite rough on plastic mesh. But I made it to the end, and now my beautiful cat has somewhere to stash her treats! If she so desires. I lined the bottom of this box and was very happy too, if only to "disguise" how the raffia yarn warped the mesh.

A Most Beautiful 💍 Jewelry Cabinet

              I had admired the pattern for this jewelry cabinet online, for many moons. I love a good jewelry box and I find that it is hard to find one that fits all one's jewelry needs. I decided to make my own! Design credit for this beautiful pattern goes to Deborah Sauser.
           Stitching this jewelry cabinet was particularly challenging because the pattern was in a leaflet, which can be tough to follow. I love that this cabinet has necklace holders at the top - not easy stitch on, mind you!
          I had to purchase a mirror for the back wall. A mirror is a classic addition to any jewelry box. I decided to line the entire inner bottom of this cabinet because I wanted a more refined look. I had to individually fold and glue each piece of fabric. I only ended up mostly using the bottom drawer of this cabinet, but it kept me happy through my last two undergraduate college years!
        My favorite little aspect of this jewelry cabinet is that the mesh holes are very useful for hanging earrings, as you can see pictured above. This is just one more reason to love needlepoint on plastic canvas!
        The jewelry cabinet "glass" windows are a special kind of plastic. I just love the little details of the roses and the door knobs. And of course, what jewelry cabinet is complete without ring holders!