Mystery XI conversion (with one change)

Since I’m a poor librarian, I am going to be doing the Chatelaine Mystery XI all in cottons.  I think I’ve finally figured out the full conversion, so I’m posting it here.  Sorry for all the footnotes, but it seems to easiest way.

On the left is the color that Martina calls for in the pattern.  On the right is my conversion.

• Northern Lights 008 Marine Blue – DMC 103 (Variegated Royal Blue)
• Gloriana 071 Winter Brook – Crescent Colors Lettuce Leaf
• Gloriana 077 Fall Foliage – DMC 4130 (Chilean Sunset)
• Gloriana 117 Elizabethan Green – Weeks Dye Works Collards
• TG Silk ‘n Colors 053 Hydrangea - WDW (Holiday Collection) Spring Bouquet a
• TG SnC 187 Enzian Flower – DMC 4220 (Lavender Fields)
• TG Silk Perle 164 Acorn Woods – blend of DMC 3031 and Dinky Dyes 76 (Ocean Grove)
• TG SP 218 New England Berries – Six Strand Sweets Berry Smoothie
• Caron Waterlilies 107 Spruce – Needlepoint Necessities 139 (Mountain Spruce) b
• Waterlilies 138 Winter Wheat – Crescent Colors Olive Branch / WDW Williamsburg Blue c
• W aterlilies 153 Distant Hills – Gentle Arts Sampler Thread Royal Purple / Carrie’s Green Grass c
• Waterlillies 244 Olive Grove – GAST Limited Edition Kale / WDW Williamsburg Blue c

For any silks not listed, I’m using the DMC conversions suggested by Martina.  I’m using the GAST threads and metallics as called for with one exception – I already have a couple spools of Kreinik #4 braid in Emerald, so I’m using that in place of the Rainbow Gallery thread in Evergreen.

a: This includes some  lavender and pale green in addition to the light blue and yellow, but I hope it will work. If not, I’ll use the solid DMC suggested.

 b: NN has gone out of business, but the store I went to was still selling off their stock.  The Threadworx conversion would be 10611 (Mythical).  DMC 4045 (Forest) would also work nicely.

 c: These include 2 colors, but will not be blended.  Instead, I will alternate 2-3 stitches of one color with 2-3 stitches of the other.

Lastest Finish

Last Thursday, I finally finished Fish City.  The pattern is by Stoney Creek, adapted from artist Stewart Moskowitz.  I stitched it 2-over-1 on 22 count Aida.  At the suggestion of Beth on the HAED boards, I switched out a few fishies from the original design for other adorable creatures from Noah’s Sub.  That is another pattern from Moskowitz’s art.

 

Hello World (the real post)

After years of mild pressure from Thud, I’m finally giving in and starting a blog.  So if you find it boring or inane, please direct all complaints to him.

 My main goal is to use this as a stitching blog, though I’m sure I’ll find other topics to write about.  I’ve been cross-stitching since college, but in the last year or so, I’ve gotten much more into (obsessive) about it.   While before I was usually a one-at-a-timer, I’m now working on multiple projects.  Blame the awesome gals, and occassional guy, on the HAED boards for that.  They have helped expand my universe of knowledge about designers you can’t find at Michael’s or AC Moore.

Though I have some other WIPs (Works in Progress), my big upcoming project will be my first Chatelaine Mandala.  These are probably some of the most beautiful patterns available, from an amazing woman in Germany named Martina Weber.  Photos cannot capture the true beauty of her work, which includes varigated colors, metallics, beads, and crystals.  I am very excited to try my hand at one of those, though I’m nervous about all the specialty stitches I’ve never tried before.

I will be doing the “Mystery” project with a Celtic theme.   A mystery (also popular in quilting circles) is a multi-part project in which the participants are not shown what the final design will look like ahead of time.  Each month we are given a section of the pattern to stitch, and we get to see the design build up over the course of a year.

Martina has given us a (spoiler warning!) sneak peak of the final picture.  It is much smaller than the previews for her non-mystery projects, and many of the details are blurry.  So while we have some idea about what we’re stitching, there will still be many surprises.

I have my fabric, but I’m still working on gathering threads.  I can’t afford to buy the lovely silks that the design calls for, so I am converting it all to cottons.  Part of this follows the recommended DMC conversion, but I’ll also be using some other brands to get closer to the original colors.  I will post a picture of the floss toss when I’m done shopping.