Barb's Having a Ball

While I was at Seminar, I met one of our Cyberstitchers. I didn't only meet her, I took a class! Barbara S. is new to the national teaching scene, but she's taken off in a big way. The sunflower ball shown here is just one of her many temari designs and even more gorgeous in person.

In the class I took, Barb taught us how to make the two ball types pictured in this photograph. They're so easy once she explains! You too, even without going to a national seminar, can get her expert instruction via her new group correspondence course, which debuts in this month's Needle Arts.

I'm in awe of the pretty, pretty lovely balls Barb has made. She's in the process of being certified by the Japanese Temari Association. This means she has to come up with eight original designs and submit them as balls to the association in Tokyo. She doesn't even get the balls back, as the association sells them to help cover expenses. The balls here were all in the classroom for us to draw inspiration from.

This little ball is easy to do as it's completely free form, with little lazy daisy flowers all over. A lot of punch for a little effort. I think it's darling.

And yes, my husband and Barb insisted I be in this picture. I'm holding the sunflower ball and Barb's holding the springtime stars and flowers one. She's such a good teacher AND a member of Cyberstitchers. If you have a chance, take a temari class. Or two. Or three. And say hi to Barb online, all you members.

Bridging the Counted and Surface Gap

Like many other chapter members, Donna G. explores several kinds of needlework, stretching herself in different ways. Given that she's been stitching since the age of eight, she's stretched a lot! This is shown in the works she's given me photos of. From stumpwork to drawn thread, she bridges the surface and counted work divide with ease. Her Brazilian embroidery pincushion (named Threads in Bloom) shows excellent use of bullion stitches (with rayon thread, even) and cast off buttonhole stitches. I especially like the latter because they give so much texture to the flower.

Great finishing makes the Betsy Morgan Spanish Sampler etui set stand out. The smalls all match so well with their case, and the use of matching beads adds that special glitz to bring out the excellent stitching.

Done completely over one, Donna's rendition of Brightneedle's Lady's Collection is exquisite. Her use of silk ribbons in the finishing brings more charm to a challenging stitch.

Fantasy Remembered is an EGA group correspondence course, and one I've been reluctant to tackle because of the extensive stumpwork. Donna, on the other hand, did it beautifully and the raised berries and dragonfly in flight make the piece sing.

Going from one extreme to the other, this Drawn Thread Sampler, another EGA group correspondence course, gives you the courage to cut your fabric as you stitch. Donna did it exceptionally well. Her five petaled flower in the bottom corner looks almost alive.

To see more of Donna's work, you can visit her photo album at http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnamaytoo/.

Counting with Pride

Lani Y., a member of Cyberstitchers for about two years, enjoys counted work, especially hardanger and cross stitch. She started stitching nearly a quarter century ago, but she's still only 32 years old. Precocious! Her most recent GCC was More Options in Hardanger, done in lovely blues and purples. It is beautifully done and gorgeously finished as a wall hanging.

Her cross stitch pieces range from reminders of home and country, such as Americana Sampling from Little House Designs, Happy Home from Blue Ribbon Designs and Lady of the Flag (her current work in progress), to such an intricate and glowing piece as Celtic Christmas from Lavender and Lace.

Reminders of home are important to Lani, for she travels often for her career. She's a musician with the Army. We all held our breaths and hoped everything would be all right when she deployed to Afghanistan. Soon she will be stitching in Iraq, and we will be sending her comfort packages, cookies, and best wishes from home.

Lani's dedication to perfection and large projects is showcased in her Lizzie Kate Flipit calendar and Noah's Ark Birth Sampler for her son. Both are exquisitely done and greater in size than most, and the FlipIt required keeping track of twelve charts.

One of the pieces she is most proud of is a tribute to her father, Hickory Dickory Dock - her first band sampler. It holds a special place in both her heart and her father's because it was completed just before she went into basic training.

Lani stitches frequently with her son on her lap, introducing him to the art. She also enjoys crocheting, running (she ran in last year's New York Marathon), music, and reading. You can see more of her work at http://armytbonegirl.livejournal.com/.

Pierrette's Pretties

Welcome to the blog of Cyberstitchers EGA. In it, we'll be profiling members of the chapter and their stitching successes. This week, Pierrette has agreed to share three pieces with us. The first is called "Edwina Gorey." Isn't it charming? Done in a style reminiscent of Edwin Gorey, creator of The Addams family, she stitched the kit in crewel.

The second piece is called "A Cottage Garden" and Pierrette found it in a favorite magazine of several members, "Inspirations". You can see, both in this and in Edwina, how Pierrette is meticulous in her stitch placement, which results in a fresh, crisp finish. She has finished it into a needlebook. What a wonderful idea.

Pierrette did this project, Options in Hardanger, as a group correspondence course with Cyberstitchers. The use of pink and chocolate gives it a very feminine, romantic feel. She did a great job. If you would like to see more of Pierrette's work, check out her blog.