Nine of Twelve

Page Nine of twelve pages of Knotgarden - complete!

More or less, anyway, as they beadwork and specialty stitches are nowhere near done.

Still, only 3 more pages of cross stitch to do on this project...unbelievable!

3 Gates, 12 urns, and a border

I don't seem to have gotten very far with Knotgarden the last two weeks, but here's what I've done. Still lots to do, but I am putting it away to work on a Mirabilia or two and give myself a break.

A couple of weeks ago, I also started keeping an Ort jar....why not, right? I had a spare jar, I certainly have lots of ends. Here it is thus far:

More Knotgarden

It's been a busy week and I don't seem to have gotten much done on Knotgarden at all...ack! I have however finished off the third gate and am currently working on the flowers/greenery at either end. Confetti stitching. How do I love thee. NOT!

And no, your eyes are not deceiving you - I have finally started filling in some of the specialty stitches, starting with some of the Algerian eyelets in the border. The pattern calls for using just a single thread but I didn't care for how that looked, so two threads it is. The eyelets are fairly simple to make as long as you can manage to get them started properly AND keep the tension even throughout since you want to open a small hole in the middle (hence, an eyelet!). I just did a few down the one side so far, but they're fairly quick to bang out. Hopefully the rest of the specialty stitches will go that smoothly.

You may recall in previous posts that I debated for a long time whether to spring for the hand dyed silks for this project or just substitute DMC. I ended up going with using the Caron Waterlilies conversion rather than Thread Gatherer mostly because they were just easier to get. I've also used Waterlilies more in the past and there was a better chance that I'd be able to use any leftovers since that's what Mirabilia uses. While hand dyed silk fibers ARE gorgeous and bright and have their own luminescence, I will say that if you wanted to use DMC, the final product would still be gorgeous.

I pulled out the baggie of beads for Knotgarden as well. Specifically I wanted the Kreinik so I could start adding that to the gate. I'd forgotten how many beads are in here! A lot of those are the Treasures, so it's not like they're all the tiny seed beads that need to go on. As always, I won't start beading until all the stitching and specialty stitches are in.

And as always, when one project is nearing an end, I'm thinking about the next project. It's been 2+ years since I decided to do a couple of the Chatelaine garden mandalas, and I still think I got it right with three I picked to do (Knotgarden, Watergarden, Alhambra Garden). I still love all three designs, to the point where no other Chatelaine is going to line jump. I appreciate that I went with projects with no over-1 stitching and had reasonably affordable materials lists. Every time I look at the patterns...I'm just so in love with them still. Good call, if I do say so myself!

I have decided that I rather like some of the architectual Chatelaines mandalas and will probably do some of those after I've worked on these Gardens. But that's what - 4 years before I will finish the next two? No rush to decide!

I am very much looking forward to getting Watergarden started. I have the DMC floss for it, as I got a piece of blue fabric in trade a while ago and wanted to do a floss drop. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll end up using that fabric - the blues of the center don't pop enough off it, and I need to get a piece of antique white instead. Rather than piece together all the beads/specialty threads like I've done with Knotgarden, I'm going to go ahead and order the kit from European Cross Stitch. That should make my life a little easier!

I'm debating a little bit whether or not I'll just work on Watergarden until it's done or get started on Alhambra and work on both at one time...what's another BAP, right? I'm at the point where Knotgarden HAS gotten a little repetitive, but at least it's a couple of weeks out from being completed.

What I've been working on lately....

I've been working on Knotgarden the last couple of weeks because I am determined to finish it this year. I've got most of the center medallion completed but still have two gates and another dozen flower pots to go, as well as all the specialty stitches and beading. Ack!

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.

Knotgarden after 10 days

As I mentioned, Knotgarden got a couple extra days since the doily project didn't take a full week.   Here it is now:

I'm about a garden gate short of the halfway point now.   The next time Knotgarden comes up in rotation, I'll have to get the silk variegated flosses and start in on some of the speciality stitches.   Should be interesting!  I have done some of them before and the directions make them seem very straightforward.  

I have all the beads for this - there are a TON of them!  Because of the overall project size, I'll have to whip out the handy dandy scroll frame to do the beading....NOT my favorite but it's useful for beading large projects.

Incidentally, since there's no way I would remember which side is "up" and it does make a difference, I have the top edge of the fabric blanket stitched in green (the other 3 sides are in white).   I also have it written all over the pattern that "GREEN IS TOP"  so I don't make a mistake. 

I can perhaps also start thinking about which Chatelaine I might want to do next...hmmmmm...

2.2 flower urns

It didn't take me a full rotation (7 days) to do my bedroom doily project, so I took on those extra few days to work longer on Knotgarden.   I've been working on it on and off since last May - so a year now (!!).    Yes, I'm feeling a little guilty since I'm not closer to finishing it.   I haven't even done any of the infamous Chatelaine specialty stitches on it.

That's the problem with working on a lot of different projects ~ I can still only finish 4-5 large projects a year, no matter how many are in progress.  Since I have more than 4-5 in progress...some just seem like they are taking forever, even though they're definately progressing.

I suppose the pressure is on with Knotgarden  because this IS only one of a series of Chatelaine's Garden Mandalas that I plan on doing...and doing a series means getting one done once in a while, right?  (and I'm not even sure of how many of them I'm going to do...I just know that there's two more on the drawing board so far).

The good news?   Knotgarden is still a joy to work on ~ I love this piece!

I originally taped together a couple sheets of the pattern but I really think that's just been too unwieldy.  I switched over to working on one pattern page, so you can see that I have 2.2 flower urns completed here - poor #3 got cut off because it was at the edge of the page, as did the floral corner motif.  

I also need to go restock some of my floss in the next day or two - I'm running low on quite a few colors.  Fortunately, it's just DMC, which means it's only a few dollars to restock.   Although I've gotten all the beads for Knotgarden, I have NOT yet gotten the silk varigated threads as yet.   I've been debating on whether or not to use them or substitute DMC solids for them, mostly for cost reasons ~ the silk floss adds another $40-$50 minimum to an already-expensive project.   Obviously that's a decision I have to make before I start working on the specialty stitches, which is something I'd like to start soon.

Six Flower Pots and a Gate

....down, eighteen flower pots and three gates to go.


Obviously, I got a little work done on Knotgarden over last weekend.


I actually am out of one of the floss colors (a medium pink) so I still have to fill that in once I make a floss run.

Here's Chatelaine's Knotgarden:


This is my first Chatelaine project, but definately won't be the last. I really love the kaleidoscope effect of the mandalas. I'm planning on doing a series of four or so of the Garden Mandalas.

Here's Meeting on the Turret Stairs from Artecy, which is a reproduction of the Burton painting:

It's all confetti stitching, which can be frustrating at times. However, I love the effect that the piece has, and plan on doing more Artecy painting reproductions in the future. I am using Aida for the first time in years for this, since it's all whole stitches and none of the background shows.

And yet another Mirabilia here, Sleeping Beauty this time:

Sleeping Beauty was the first Mirabilia I ever attempted years ago, but I gave up on it because at the time, it was too above my skill level. I'm really looking forward to getting her finished at some point soon.

And finally, Mirabilia's Midsummer Night's Fairy:

She clocks in as my oldest WIP, so needs some special attention in the coming months. Like many of the fantasy Mirabilias, she has lots of beads and metallic threads.

Chatelaine's Knotgarden

Moving along nicely. I really like how it's coming out so far.

At some point, I need to start filling in the specialty stitches (eyelets, etc) but I'll probably wait until I'm done most of the cross stitching, then mount on a scroll frame.

I was supposed to work on Midsummer Night's Fairy next, but when I checked the pattern, I realized I hadn't enlarged it. I'm finding, especially later in the evening, that the Mirabilia patterns tend to run a little small, even under the Ott-Lite. I need to go make a working copy and blow it up to 125% or so. I don't go out the weekend after Thanksgiving because of the shopping madness, so that will have to wait.

So because of this, I get to start Mermaid of Atlantis, also a Mirabilia. She's a petite mermaid - so much so she's fitting nicely on a leftover piece of Picture This Plus Fathom that I'm also doing Sleeping Beauty on. Since the Fathom was quite expensive, I'm happy I could use the leftover piece. MoA has a ton of beads, metallics & Waterlilies threads - so you know how much that can add up to, so it's nice to be able to cut back a little on the fabric costs as well.

I do so love starting a new project - almost as much as finishing one.

Project Updates

More progress on Knotgarden - this is the upper left corner.

To keep straight which end is up, I've done a hemstitch across the top of the fabric in green thread, and the rest of the hemstitching is in white. Since the fabric is a 28 count lugana, the hemstitching also prevents fraying - I find lugana is particularly prone to this.

I'm leaning more and more towards using DMC floss instead of buying the varigated silks for some of the specialty stitches. I may buy the ones to use in the borders, but some of them are very sparingly used. If I subsitute, I'll use floss colors that are already within the pattern.



Sleeping Beauty is back in rotation. I'm just working my way down some of the lavender bedding. I'm debating about doing the hands and face over 1 - I like the look of it, but the actual stitching (especially on a darker background) can be a bit frustrating.

Sleeping Beauty has a bit of a history with me. I first attempted to do her back in the mid-90's, but I had never done a Mirabilia nor had I ever worked on linen (or any over 2) before. I saw the pattern at a LNS and just loved it, and splurged on the materials. Not long after I started, I gave it up - I kept making mistakes and having to frog, and all those frustrating things you do when you really do not know what you're doing. I don't know what happened to what I'd worked on - probably ditched it. About a year later, I was determined that I was going to learn to stitch on linen, did some research to learn some of the ins and outs, and ended up doing a much smaller project - a teacup that I still have - and I've never looked back.

I still love Sleeping Beauty, and am very happy to be back working on her now. Such a gorgeous piece! Thanks to Sandy on the Mirabilia yahoo group for helping me out with the fabric choice.

There are so many Mirabilias that I've fallen in love with over the years - that I still love them 10+ years later is very gratifying, and inspiring me to work through some of those favorites. The Queens, Fairy Idyll, now Sleeping Beauty and Midsummer Night's Fairy. It's really become kind of a bucket list. Rose of Sharon is another classic that I'll need (yes - need) to do, but I'm going to change the dress colors as I'm not overly fond of the yellow/blue she's wearing. I'm leaning towards a lavender/cream combination instead. I don't have a lot of embroideries where lavender is featured, so that'll make a nice change. I think that color combo on a cream background will give sort of a faded/antiqued overall finish which is appropriate for the piece.

There's some other future plans under the "Wish List" section to the left of the blog - just for fun.

I'm stalking my mailman for an order I placed with Nordic Needle...not that I need it anytime soon, but you know how that goes :-)

Knotgarden progress



The great thing about working on geometric patterns is that they do move along fairly quickly.

And now for something completely different...



I got Chatelaine's Knotgarden started this week. I'm working it on 28 count antique white lugana. I thought the beads would sit better on the 28 count rather than the 32 count, and with the eyelets that are part of the design, it may come out more evenly on the lugana rather than my usual linen.

I'm debating about using the hand dyed flosses (I'd be buying Waterlilies) and substituting a similar DMC floss instead. We'll see - I have a long way to go before I get that far!