Royal Holiday

It's Royal Holiday's turn this week!

I have to do a "before" and "after" picture of Royal because I'm actually quite surprised that I got so much done.

Here she is at the end of the last time she was in rotation:

And while I don't feel I worked on her an inordinate amount this week, I was focusing on getting as much of that golden brown skirt done as possible.  It was actually very easy stitching with no confetti, not a ton of color changes, etc.  

And here she is:

I know, right?  I did feel a need to take a break from all the browns and do some of the red of the cloak, but I got almost all of the brown skirt completed.    An extra hour or two will complete that, plus some time working on filling in the swirl pattern with the metallics.    They will have to wait for the next rotation.

And there's a reason why I wanted to get most of the skirt done, but you'll have to check back in a few days to find out....mwahahaha...

And just like that....

The PtP sale is over....doh!

Warning....reading this post may result in spending money....

SALE!!!  Yeah, it's my favorite word too.

Picture This Plus is having a Christmas in July sale on their hand dyed fabrics. Add the fabric to your cart and you get at 25% discount taken off....wooo hooo!

(Don't ask.  Blew the non-existent budget.)

Two Gates, Twelve Urns, Six Pages down....

And I think I can officially (finally!) call half way done on Knotgarden.

I have also made a decision to use the variegated silks for the specialty stitches (none of which have been completed).  I think it'll add a little extra pop, so I've added them to my (very long) shopping list.  I have all the beads tucked away for this project but obviously, I'm not close to getting any kind of beading done.    It's only JUST going to fit on my largest scroll frame to bead...ack!   I'll make it work.

Sneak Peek....

My upcoming....ahem...."project" in October.....

(With my well-documented Mira addiction, you *knew* it would be something grand, right?)

Adieu to Sleeping Beauty

No updated picture, since I haven't made much progress since I posted a picture the other day.  I packed her up yesterday and I'm working on Chatelaine's Knotgarden this week.

Next time Sleeping Beauty comes up in rotation, I'll work on her until she's finished.

So Naughty.....

Truly....

Back in the last round of kitting up Mirabilias, I had a piece of Amsterdam Blue linen that I wanted to use up, and decided to do Queen Mermaid on it.    After I got the floss...I was a bit "meh" about the floss drop on the dark grey-blue fabric.   

I think it could have worked, but the Amsterdam Blue just wasn't bringing anything to the table to make Queen Mermaid pop. 

I obviously wasn't in a hurry to start the project (having so many going and a bunch of other Miras also kitted) so I just sat on the project, occasionally thinking about what to do.    I was ok reconsidering the fabric because I already had the piece;  I don't feel like I'm "wasting" it as it will just go back into storage where it's been the last 2 years.

Anyway....I go play on the Mirabilia Fabric Viewer fairly regularly, and after playing around quite a bit, I have really grown to like the idea of doing Queen Mermaid on a pearly gray background.   Of course, there are a lot of options there, in both solid and hand dyed.   You know me - I don't especially like a busy background, so I prefer either solids or just a subtle design.   Since solids are a lot less expensive than hand dyeds, there's that to consider as well.

I jumped into a conversation on a Mira discussion board about the fabric for Queen Mermaid, and it was suggested that she's a great companion for Mira's Deepest Love, because they both form either side of a circle, like so: 

In fact, someone rather ambitious has done both mermaids on one piece of fabric here.....isn't it fantastic?

So of course, now I'm sold on doing them both (although I will do them as 2 separate pieces), which means that I also want to do them on the same color of fabric....which means that I not only have to buy a new piece of fabric for Queen Mermaid but also for Deepest Love...have I mentioned that my budget is really tight right now?  LOL   Fortunately, I already have the pattern for Deepest Love.

Anyway....I've been jonesing to get started on Queen Mermaid the last couple weeks, especially with Sleeping Beauty drawing to an end.   I narrowed my fabric choices down to Zweigart's Pearl Gray (a solid) and Silkweaver's Sterling Silver.   Both pieces are heavily beaded and as difficult as it was to get all the beads on Midsummer Night's Fairy on 32 count fabric, I had decided to start using 28 count fabric for heavily beaded works when possible.

I've been playing around all morning with sizing so I can buy the smallest piece of fabric possible (and therefore spend the least), and if I do them on 28 count and deal with there only being about a 2 1/2 inch margin on either side (there will be a larger margin top and bottom)...I can get both pieces on a fat half of linen.  YAY!  I really try not to have extra pieces of un-assigned fabric in my stash;  it's both the storage and the cost of having something that is not being used.   Obviously it's a good savings if you can make a pre-sized cut of fabric work for you rather than buying a bigger piece and wasting a bunch of it. 

So the winner?

Silkweaver's Sterling Silver.  I broke down and ordered a fat half this morning. 

I think they will be beautiful on this fabric.    I know a lot of people really like the brightly colored hand dyed fabrics, but they're just not my speed for the most part.   This has got a lovely subtle shading, like Fathom from Picture This Plus, which I did both Mermaid of Atlantis and Sleeping Beauty on.  I got a fat half there and squeezed as much onto it design-wise that I could, and that worked out well. 

So yes...I was naughty.  I didn't really need this but sometimes, you just have to!

Still Going...

Yes, yes...I'm still working on Sleeping Beauty.  I just haven't felt like changing projects as yet, and she's growing nicely now.  I still have a lot of areas that I haven't completed and need to go back and fill in, and there are plenty more roses to do.  

I'm currently working to finish off the bottom of the green swirly part of the bedding.   I'll be glad when that's done.

I got the roses across the top finished, but there are a lot more scattered around that need to be completed.   You can also see where the top border on the right is starting to curve down, so that gives a better idea of final dimensions.

I will putting her away on Friday to move along to the next piece, but next time around that she's in rotation, I'll be finishing her.