Zombies ahead

I’m working on a few Hardanger projects right now.  First, I’d had a table runner pattern from Lillill Thuve’s Vakre Hardangerdesign kitted up for ages, but hadn’t started it.

I began it, but a fiddly part of the center motifs slowed me down and I’ve put it aside for a while until I’m more interested in it again.  I’m realizing why I hadn’t gotten around to starting it.  The fabric (Dublin) and the thread (Watercolours) are a delight as always, but there’s something about the pattern that just isn’t doing it for me.

The pattern that’s really captured my interest right now is one of the winners of the annual Nordic Needle design contest.

I love the pattern, the stitches, and the colors I chose.  I’m using 30 count Legacy Linen in Baltic Green, which looks antique green or blue depending on the light.  Love, love, love Legacy linen:  it’s stiffer than Dublin, but full, feels great in the hand, and so luxurious.  I had really wanted to stitch this centerpiece in silk, but the Baltic Green color proved tricky to match up:  if I found a shade of Trebizond or Soie Perlée that worked well with the linen, I couldn’t find a matching Soie Gobelins, and if I found a suitable Soie Gobelins, neither Soie Perlée nor Trebizond looked right next to it.  The expense of silk, that pesky hobgoblin, also looked like it would be a factor in this medium-sized project, so after tidying up all the spools I’d pulled out of the drawers of the LNS, I chose a shade of DMC perle cotton which is a great fit for the fabric and didn’t break the budget.

I completed the surface stitches in two weeks’ time and am currently slogging through the eyelets.  This pattern features a lacy edge, or as I call it, Zombie Hardanger.  The cutting phase will be messy and scary, but well worth it.

But wait; there’s more!  My sister-in-law (the owner of this birthday biscornu) is expecting her first baby, and we’re going to make a christening gown.

I’ll be using another pattern from Nordic Needle’s design contest to embroider the fabric, and my sister-in-law and her mother will sew the dress.  My new niece or nephew is due mid-February; once the fabric arrives, we’ll get started.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 10:57 am and is filed under gifts, hardanger. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “Zombies ahead”

  1. Valerie Says:
    September 28th, 2011 at 11:26 am

    That Christening gown will be truly epic! I look forward to pictures. And it’s great that it’s a group effort. You can do the embellishments and some one else has to sew it up–nice!!

  2. Heather Says:
    September 28th, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    SIL and her mom made her wedding dress, so they’re used to the stress of heirloom-quality dressmaking on a deadline. I just hope I can finish the embroidery in time! The Hardanger pattern is gorgeous. If we can pull this off, it will be epic.

  3. Doris Says:
    October 2nd, 2011 at 11:19 am

    That Christening will be gorgeous!