Saturday, May 12, 2012

Fourth of July (Needle Adventures)

4ht of July Cover Page, Courtesy of LH

Fourth of July was published as "4th of July" under the Needle Adventures name in July, 1994.  This design is worked on red 18 count needlepoint canvas with perle cotton and #8 Krienik braid in three colors.  The materials list has a black and white image of exploding fireworks next to it.

*****************************************

Close up of 4th of July, Courtesy of LH

Materials List:
7x7 18 mono canvas, Victorian red
DMC #5 perle cotton, #816
Balger/Kreinik #8 — #302, 033, 202HL

Friday, May 11, 2012

Twinkle (Needle Adventures)

Twinkle Cover Page, Courtesy of Lara Hartley
Twinkle is a round ornament with a star shape in the center.  It was published in October 1994 under the Needle Adventures name.  There is a sunburst image next to the materials list on the instruction sheet.


Twinkle in Closeup, Courtesy of Needleart Nut


*****************************************

Twinkle Line Drawn Canvas with LS Logo, Courtesy of Lara Hartley
The line drawn canvas above seems to be for a double-sided ornament.  Note the LS logo with the L above and the S below.

Twinkle Threads and Line Drawn Canvas, Courtesy of Lara Hartley

Materials List:
white Congress cloth 5x8 inches
Kreinik #8 fine braid #202HL (Aztec Gold High Lustre)
Kreinik #8 fine braid #307 (Deep Coral red and gold mix)


Another Closeup, Courtesy of Fireside Stitchery


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Bargello Hearts Mini Stocking (Loretta Spears Designs)

Bargello Hearts Mini Stocking Cover, Courtesy of Lara Hartley

Bargello Hearts Mini Stocking is a mini stocking published in August 1995 under the Loretta Spears Designs name.   The instructions have two gray hearts next to the materials list.


Closeup of Bargello Hearts Mini Stocking, Courtesy of Needleartnut


*****************************************

Threads and Congress Cloth, Courtesy of Lara Hartley
Materials List:

7x8 beige Congress cloth
rose Kreinik metallic blending filament #013
Needle Necessities pink overdyed floss #154
five shades of blue DMC cotton floss, including 3766, 3808, 3809, 3810, 3811 (one skein each color)


Supplies and Chart, Courtesy of PJEclipse

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Mini Empress (Loretta Spears Designs)

Mini Empress Cover Page Courtesy of Lara Hartley

Apparently this was also called the Mini Empress Diamond.  It was published in October 1995 as The Mini Empress by Loretta Spears Designs.


Close up of Mini Empress


*****************************************
Closeup of the Empress Silk, plus Congress Cloth and gold Kreinik braid. courtesy of  eBay seller Patches10_2

Threads and Congress Cloth for Mini Empress, Courtesy of Lara Hartley



Materials List:

6 x 6 inch white Congress cloth
three shades of red Empress Silk* (#21, 74 and 75)
Kreinik very fine braid size 4, "Antique Gold" #221

*Empress Silk was overdyed Chinese silk from Needle Necessities, now discontinued.   This website has a color card and apparently some skeins left.  Substitute any silk floss in three shades of red as seen above.
http://www.needleworkplus.com/Threads/Empress_Silk/empress_silk.html

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Northern Lights (Needle Adventures)

Northern Lights Cover Page, Courtesy of Lara Hartley
Northern Lights was published under the Needle Adventures name in 1990.  I believe the line drawn canvas below came with the instructions as it seems to have the Loretta Spears logo of an L above an S drawn in such a way that the bottom of the L shares a line with the top of the S.


Northern Lights Closeup Courtesy of Needleart Nut


*****************************************

Line Drawn Canvas for Northern Lights with LS Logo, Also Courtesy of LH

Materials List:
18 mono canvas (unknown dimensions)
DMC floss, 1 skein #321
DMC perle cotton #5, 1 skein #321
Balger/Kreinik blending filament #003, 1 spool
Balger/Kreinik blending filament #001, 1 spool
Balger/Kreinik 1/16th metallic ribbon #001, 1 spool
Balger/Kreinik #8 braid, #001, 1 spool

Monday, May 7, 2012

Diagonal Brocade Stripes Heart

Diagonal Brocade Stripes Heart Model from Cover Photo, Courtesy of Lara Hartley
Diagonal Brocade Stripes Heart was published in February 1990, as part of the Christmas Heirlooms Collection.  I think this was published as a Needle Adventures chart but I am not certain.  To me the pattern looks very much like the Diagonal Brocade Egg pattern published in April of 1996.  Here's a link so you can decide for yourself.
http://lorettaspears.blogspot.com/2012/05/diagonal-brocade-egg-loretta-spears.html

*****************************************

Outlined Canvas Courtesy of Lara Hartley

Note that the canvas above has the LS logo on the left side.  This outlined canvas must have been furnished by Loretta as part of a kit.

Materials List:
not available

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Amadeus Diamond (Christmas Heirloom Club)


Amadeus Diamond from Cover Page, Courtesy of Lara Hartley

This small diamond shaped ornament has been described as "little heart on inside, red white and metallic white congress."  This was published as part of the Christmas Heirloom Club in December 1990 on plain white paper without a cover sheet.


*****************************************

Supplies for Amadeus Diamond, Also Courtesy of Lara Hartley
Materials List:
white 24 count Congress cloth
#8 Balger braid in white #032
#8 red Kreinik metallic #003

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Diagonal Brocade Egg (Loretta Spears Designs)

Diagonal Brocade Egg Cover, Courtesy of Needleartnut

Diagonal Brocade Egg was published under the Loretta Spears Design name using the typical pink cover page with a photograph. The publication date was April 1996.



Close Up Courtesy of eBay Seller msritter50


*****************************************

Threads and Canvas, Courtesy of Lara Hartley
Materials List:

7x7 inch square white Congress cloth
Sampler Threads "Pineapple Sherbet"
Sampler Threads "Purple Iris"
Sampler Threads "Tropical Ocean"
Sampler Threads "Morning Glory"
Sampler Threads "Pink Azalea"

This design is executed on a piece of 7 inch square white Congress cloth using five shades of a hand dyed cotton floss from The Gentle Arts.  The kit photo below shows the egg outline drawn onto the Congress cloth.  I think the kit came directly from Loretta Spears this way.  The line drawn canvas seems to have her LS logo on the side of the Congress cloth.

See Diagonal Brocade Striped Heart, which has a similar pattern.  Only the center blue egg design is included in this chart.  The eggs on the left and right are unidentified  (although the pastel egg on the right might be her Brocade Egg and the egg on the left might be her Heirloom Egg 1992)
and not charted in these instructions.


eBay Kit Photo Courtesy of Gatesmaren