D.E.S.I.G.N. SAL

The idea of this Blog Hop is to choose a different designer each month and do a post focusing on a piece of their work you have stitched on during the month.  As you know, I have been taking part in the DUCJC 2015 this month so I have worked on several of my favourite designers.  I decided to focus on three of my all-time favourites as evidenced in my Profile.  They are Nora Corbett (AKA Mirabilia), Joan Elliott and Teresa Wentzler.

The hosts of D.E.S.I.G.N ask us to answer a few questions on our chosen designer and I have added an extra one!

1. What project are you talking about this month?

Nora - Little Snowy Gray Cottage and J for Joanne.

Joan - February Cherub and Believe

Teresa - You Were Hatched

2. Have you stitched a project by this designer before?

Nora - 13 different projects, including Round Robins - link here to see them all

Joan - 24 different projects, including Round Robins - link here to see them all

Teresa - 10 different projects, including Round Robins - link here to see them all

So you can see, Joan Jett is a Runaway winner (joke for rock fans there).  Mainly because she designs more smalls than the other two.

3. Would you buy/stitch a design by this designer again?  Why/Why not?

Yes!  Otherwise half my stash would be useless.  I have several of Joan and Teresa's books which I love just looking through and admiring the pictures.  I also have all my Mirabilia charts which I intend to keep and never sell.

4. What made you choose this particular design/designer?

Nora - I saw the Little Cottage series on Nataly's blog and she was kind enough to send me the charts and fancy supplies when she was finished (I believe I may have paid for the supplies?).  J for Joanne was a gift from Justine when I won a giveaway on her blog.

Joan - I loved the 2013 Diary which came with WOCS and featured 12 of Joan's designs.  I fully intended to stitch all 12, but the best intentions don't always work out!  February's Cherub is nearly done.  Believe is going to be a present for the Small Boy's teaching staff from last year.  I usually stitch a gift at the end of the year but hadn't realised he would be leaving that particular class until it was too late!  So there will be two gifts stitched and given this year.

Teresa - The lovely Karen acquired this chart for me because I have wanted it ever since I first heard about it.  It is OOP and rather rare, especially the signed, numbered ones like mine!  This is going to be a birth sampler for the Small Boy because he is nearly six and doesn't have one yet!

5. Did you notice anything that distinguished this designer from others?

Nora - is best known for her elegant ladies, her fairies and her mermaids, also her use of Kreinik and Mill Hill beads to accent her colours.  She uses many fractionals to create long, elegant limbs.  Recently she has branched out to create these cottages, some natural history designs and even a set of stitched chairs!  Many of Nora's designs show her fine art background and her ladies reflect her fashion drawing past.  Seriously, who has a waist like these girls?

Joan - has the widest range of designs of the three.  A classic "Joan" could be a realistic fairy or a cute cartoon creature.  They could be simple whole xxx or use metallics and beads as well.  She is known for throwing in French Knots in Kreinik when beads are not used.  I think the best way I could describe Joan's work is "a child's colouring book".  If you stitched the backstitch, scanned and printed it then it would make a great colouring book.

Teresa - Blending, blending, blending and confetti!  I think those are the key words for our Teresa!  Her designs are always intricate and usually feature a beautiful ornate border.  Fractionals abound as do blended colours.  Why use 15 shades of grey for rocks when you can create another 15 by blending?  She favours the more muted shades than Joan.  I have used so much 3041 and 3042 in Teresa's designs that I instinctively think of her when I stitch with them.

6. What is your favourite completed design?

Nora - Bluebeard's Mermaid.  My very first SAL when I first joined a stitching forum back in 2011.  I think this was my first piece of hand-dyed fabric too.  Crafty Kitten, of course!

Joan - Green Goddess, this is my biggest piece of Joan's so far.

I also love my Garden Fairies RR:

Teresa - The Castle, a Rite of Passage for many stitchers.  I actually stitched this on aida!  Insane!

 

The remaining days of the DUCJC will follow after the 31st,

Finally, I will be hosting the annual Valentine's Day Blog Hop this year.  See this post for more details.  Just send me a photo of your lovely stitching to be sent to another blogger on Valentine's Day,  I've added the Heart to my sidebar, please feel free to copy it onto your blog to link back here.