5.19 South Seas Mermaid Adaption

While I have had the pattern for this a while, I've never really felt the urge to stitch it quite yet...mainly because it's colours are so bland.  I'm sorry, but when you mention 'south seas mermaid' I tend to imagine something a bit...more colourful than the original pattern.

Anyway, I finished Royal Holiday, so I was looking for something new to start....so I figured why not adapt south seas?

Anyway, what happened from there was this

The humble beginnings, as I sorted out what colours to use

Colours more-or-less settled, starting to come to life

All the stitching finished!  Just beads left

The finished product!

Fair warning for this adaption - there was a LOT changed.  As in pretty much everything but the skin and hair colours were changed (And one bead.  I left one bead the same, LOL)
I also left out some beading, as a) I didn't think it needed any more (holy hell there were already a million beads on it, and the pattern called for YET MOREEEE) and b) I didn't have a bead in my stash that either fit the colours AND had the sheer quantity I would need.  So that happened.

Body

• 5982 -> 026 (Kreinik)
• 3514 ->1223 (Kreinik)
• 927 ->340
• 772/927 -> 156
• 772 -> 341
• 3770 -> 3840
• 939 -> 550
• 03048 -> 3844
• 356/758 -> 3844
• 926 -> 3746

Top fins

• 3607 -> 3844
• 3607/3609 -> 3845
• 3609 -> 3846

Bottom back fins

• 352 -> 3844
• 335 -> 3845
• 335/860 -> 3846

Trailing fins

• 3860 -> 156
• 844 -> 161
• 3609/3860 -> 156/3846

Stripe

• 335 -> 321
• 352 -> 321
• 922 -> 321
• 335/926 -> 321

Seaweed

• 844 -> 701
• 3860 -> 702
• 704 -> 703
• 5982 -> 015 (Kreinik)
• 3607 -> 321

And then the beads.  (I did mention a LOT had changed, right?)

• 72023 -> 72052
• 72012 -> 72052
• 03048 -> 00165
• 16616 -> SAME AS ORIGINAL
• 16615 -> 02031
• 03027 -> 02009
• 18828 -> 18830
• 18831 -> 02085
• 00525 -> 02035

• 03047 -> On arm, neck and top of bodice 10074, on tail fins, and trailing tendrils 00161
• 42031 -> on belly 00161, on trailing tendrils 02009

Backstitching stayed the same as original pattern, as did the hair and skin.

Stitched 2 over 2 on Chromatic Alchemy's 'Poseidon' Belfast linen

5.18 Royal Holiday (A Christmas Queen)

All up, she took 35 days to stitch and bead (Beading only took a couple hours) Although that skin alone took me two and a half days >.<

Stitched 2 over 2 on 32 count belfast linen.

Skin stitched 1 over 1

Fabric is Al's Darkmagic, from Chromatic Alchemy

Mill Hill beads 03034 were changed to 03004

5.17 Snowdrop (A bluebell adaption)

Mother's favourite flower is the snowdrop...but sadly Nora Corbett doesn't have a pixie of that (Yet.....hint hint)

So I adapted Bluebell into it.

Note - I now hate creams and whites.

The dress done AT LAST

Stitching all finished

All done!

DMC

154 – 164

333 - 369

3746 - 3072

3839 - 822

794 - 3865

800 - Blanc

3756 - B5200

Changed on DRESS ONLY

3371 - 563

Waterlilies 204 – Replaced with Fibrelicious C120, Spring Leaves

Kreiniks

093 – 027L

1223 – 152V

1432 – 150V

Mill Hill beads

16168 – 16606

18830 – 18820

Backstitching

Umbrella – DMC 986. I outlined the snowdrops by going around the edges of the B5200, but that was a personal preference.

Laces on feet – 027L Kreinik.

Stitched on Chromatic Alchemy's "Bridget's Garden" 32 count belfast linen, 2 over 2.

5.16 Bluebell

So this month was 'try something new', and towards the end of the month I finally realised I hadn't done anything new, as I had been focused on getting Dressmaker's daughter finished.  

Bluebell was sitting there, half finished.  So I decided, eh, why not, and tried beading as I went.

Well.

Let us just say that we will NOT be doing THAT ever again.

I either lost time because I was running my fingers over the beads and muttering pretttyyyyyy under my breath all the time, sat staring at it the other half of the time.  And when I was actually stitching, the threads I was using kept wrapping around the beads and catching.

All in all, I have no idea how people manage it, and I am in awe of their ability to not go insane and throw their stitching across the room in a fit of rage.  

But I learnt I am unable to bead as I go.  So at least I got something productive out of the experience?

Stitched on Chromatic Alchemy Permanganate, 32 belfast linen.  2 over 2.  Kreinik 1432 left out, and 838 backstitching replaced by kreinik 1223.

5.15 Dressmaker's Daughter Update 2 (And finish!)

So I forgot to take a pic as often this time.  But in my defense, I could almost SEE the end so I was too excited.

All the stitching finished!

And then, today the unthinkable happened....I FINISHED IT ALL

Two days of beading, but omg is so pretty now it's done!
As per usual, I didn't use Caron Waterlilies, and substituted Fibrelicious threads instead (gotta support the friendies! *shameless plug*)
I used Dreaming Dusk on the Winter panel, Peony on the Spring panel, Leaf Green (silk) on the Summer panel, and Ecletic Eggplant and Wrapping Paper on the Autumn panel.
Stitched on a custom dye from Chromatic Alchemy, who was nice enough to dye me a plain black fabric when normally she dyes all sorts of pretty and awesome colours.
2 over 2, 32 count belfast linen.

WHEEEEE!

5.14 Minerva

When I picked her up again

Finished!

I gave the owl beads for eyes, instead of the 725.

Stitched on Chromatic Alchemy's "Cirrus", 32 count belfast linen.  Stitched 2 over 2, and a partner-piece for Raven.

5.13 Marigold

Stitched on Chromatic Alchemy "Permanganate", 32 count belfast linen.
2 over 2, except skin which was 1 over 1.

5.12 Raven

Yet another small pixie, this time from the bewitching series.

After a small bead snaffoo (the wrong bead was added to the embellishment kits, but wichelt corrected it and sent out replacement beads) the final beads arrived today.

And she got finished!

Stitched on Chromatic Alchemy "Cirrus", 32 count belfast.

Now I just have to finish her sister ... sigh.

5.11 Geranium

OK, so this month is supposed to be an event where you stitch something that starts with the letter of your name....and it turns out K is actually harder to find something than you would think.

But me being me, ended up with a uh... side project...that has nothing to do with the letter K at all.

Whee?

Anyway, Geranium is now finished too!

And I hate those green beads with a passion not suitable for words.

Stitched on 'Cook Straight' by Countrystitch, 32 belfast linen.  

This was my trial piece from Countrystitch, to see what it was like. 

PROS: 

• Very fast turnaround (it was posted within two days, and over Easter holidays no less)
• NZ company!  (Yey for Kiwi's!)
• Very nice customer service, and prompt with it too.

CONS

• Dye spots on the fabric.  Yes, I could have complained and returned it, but a) that would have meant more time and b) I actually kind of liked the effect.

Final verdict so far - undecided.  I need to buy another piece or two from there before I decide officially, as I don't know if the dye spots are a one off event, or not.

But it was a beautiful colour, and bought out Geranium's colours beautifully.

5.10 Willow Queen

Final beads arrived, so she has been finished!

Much love and thanks to Nguyen of Fibrelicious for dying me two threads specially for the pattern too!

She was stitched on Candy, by Colour Cascade Fabrics, and goes as the partner to Rain Queen (Who was stitched on the other half of Candy)

Now I just have to...frame them...*sigh*

5.9 Dressmaker's Daughter Update 1

The current big project, and commission for the year, is Dressmaker's Daughter, from Mirabilia.  Four panels, winter, spring, summer and autumn.

And shall we just say LOTS of beads.

I cannot emphasise that enough.

Anyway, thanks to copious amounts of time spent on the viewer (www.theviewer.net) the decision was made to put the pattern upon black fabric.

Queue an order for a custom dye, thanks to Chromatic Alchemy.

Then ordering the embellishment kit.  Thanks to Dye Stitch Love.

Then I had to actually...stitch.  That bit wasn't quite as fun.  Those background panels...gah.  Just GAH.  Seemed liked they would never friggen endddd.

HOWEVER.  The battle was waged, and partially won - the panel for winter has been completed, except for backstitching and beads (I'm on a q-snap frame, so beading now would end up crushing the beads, and we do not want a sobbing Kat around here.  NOOOO)

Spring is actually the panel I began on - since it was closer to the centre of the pattern, and I'm not always one of those people who count out to the edge of where the pattern should be to start there.  No, I only do that on evenweave or adia, and even then only half the time.  (Effortsssss, we do not likes themmmm)

As per usual, instead of using Caron Waterlilies, I'm back using Fibrelicious threads - along with being an awesome all-round nice person, Nguyen dyes AWESOME threads.  The colours are more vibrant, she can custom change if asked, there are lots of variety ... and they don't cost as much as the Caron ones.  Win all round!

Currently debating if I keep stitching into the summer panel once spring is finished, or if I should take a break and do something else for a bit.  Decisions can be tough >.<