Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Fond of Dancing and Spring House

I guess I'm in a pink state of mind for spring now.  My latest two pieces are smothered in pink.  The first is a small design I stitched to be given to a bride along with a wedding gift.  It's the Jane Austen ornament designed by The Sampler Girl from the JCS 2012 ornament issue.  The bride-to-be has spent much of her life dancing, so this design was so appropriate.   It seemed to cry out to be a pinkeep, but the last time I tried making one of those, it was not one of my proudest stitching moments.  Since that time, I've found lots of tutorials with various tips, so I gave it another shot. I'm so glad I did, because I really love the outcome.  I replaced the gold dress from the original design with a pink one. The "J" and "A" for Jane Austen, became "J" and "S", the first initials of the bride and groom.   This is a tiny piece done over-one on 28 count  Summer Khaki linen.  The couple lives in a New York City apartment....no space for a lot of extraneous knick-knacks.  I think I'll package it with one of those mini-wooden easels so it can easily be displayed on a desktop.  I'm sure that pinkeeps are a total mystery to non-stitchers and the easel will make it clear that it is for display!

Love the 180° turnout!


The backing fabric is one of my favorites.  This print has come in handy on a number of my finishes so you may recognize it (and perhaps are tired of seeing it!)

Continuing in my pink theme, I  signed up to do a house design for a WOCS quilt square.  There are so many cute house designs around, but when I started searching, nothing really grabbed my attention.  Then one cute freebie stood out from the rest, and I'm sure the color scheme is what really got to me.  I also love the use of 'white space' in this design to delineate the sections of the house.  This is done over-two on 25-count bone Lugana...quite a change from the over-one pinkeep. I like both results equally.  The photo makes the fabric look white, but it is more cream-colored in real life.

The design, "Printemps",  is from the blog "Le Tric et le Croc, et la Brod d'Isazabelle".  If you are interested, you can download the PDF chart here.





26 comments:

Margaret said...

Oh I like your pink phase! lol! Both designs are beautifully done! The bride will be pleased with her gift! And the block is wonderful!

Vickie said...

Me too! Me too! I love your phrase "smothered in pink". ;)

♥ Nia said...

oh! first time I read that =) sweet!
Lovely stitching :)
hugs&smiles

Lee said...

Lovely stitching and lovely finish for your pin keep specially love the two roses on the back.

geeky Heather said...

I adore the pink color for Jane!!

Karen said...

There is no better color than pink! Your pinkeeps are so elegant and pretty and how perfect the Jane one is for a dancer!

Carol said...

Oh, what a perfect gift for the dancing bride and her husband, Annie! I love the changes you made to it and I think the easel idea is wonderful for a small space... Your finishing is impeccable--no need for further tutorials, I'd say :)

The colors in the pink and purple house are such fun and I love those giant tulips! Pink definitely puts a smile on all of our faces this time of year...

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Your pin keep turned out GREAT. I love it and know the bride will, too! Great idea to send along a small easel. The house is wonderful and will be a lovely addition to the quilt! Loved your smothered in pink post but then, I'm a girl that loves pink!!!

Brigitte said...

The Dancer is a wonderful gift for the bride who has been dancing for such a long time. And the little pink house is so cute that I'll have to download it quickly. Such a nice little design.

Jane said...

What a great idea for a wedding gift, it's perfect for those little easels. I really like your pink house too

Mii Stitch said...

OOOh both beautiful finishes! I love your pink mood :D Thank you for the link, I will definitely keep this cutie in my stash!!

Hetti said...

The pinkeep is a real treasure for the bride it is so lovely!
Thank you for the link, the house is great in the pink colors Annie ;-))
XXX Hetti

Heather said...

Your finishes are lovely, Annie. I'm sure the gift will be very appreciated, as it is very thoughtful.

ArchangelDecker said...

As always, stunning finishes! :)

Dani - tkdchick said...

Those are both wonderful finishes! Great job on the pinkeep!

Melanie said...

Love 'em both!! I'm sure the bride will love it too. :)
I've really come to appreciate pink as I've gotten older. I was all about purple when I was kid but, man, do I love a good pink now.

Liz in Kansas said...

As always, you have done a great job on these two projects. I am particularly drawn to the house . . . perfect colors and look at all those tiny hearts!!!

Nima said...

lovely projects Annie..I admire you for all your awesome finishing...I'm working on a cross stitch project and it is not even half way...hope to finish it by july

Unknown said...

Two embroiders many greats ..!!
Pat

Anne said...

Love the pink phase you are in Annie!! The Sampler Girl design is too sweet and I love that fabric too...something about that sweet little rose bud is endearing. I've seen that French house pattern before. I like your take on it!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Your finishes are always exquisite! I love how this pinkeep choice so suits the bride making it especially special!

Anonymous said...

What a delightful gift..so personal and lovely. Love all your "pink"...the roses on the back are PERFECT. Nice work!

Kissy said...

Pink and green are my favorite colors for some time now. Love the pinkeep!

Annette-California said...

Oh Anne, what a beautiful gift for a bride. Love your pinkeep and the pink:))) Shes going to love it. Your house sampler is so pretty. I love the colors you used. Both are beautifully finished. Love those pink pearl pins. love Annette

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

I know I'm severely tardy, but I wanted to say, your little Sampler Girl Pinkeep finish....STUNNING! Perfectly stitched and finished :)

Nicky said...

I'm loving the pink Annie, they both look fantastic. The finish you've used for the wedding gift is so pretty, the fabric complements it perfectly. Happy stitching!