Watch Autumn Reflections (Mystery #5) Grow

Pat of the Needleart Nut blog is about to start blog-stitching Mystery #5, "Autumn Reflections."  Stay tuned as she creates another of Loretta's wonderful mysteries.  This is the next best thing to stitching one of Loretta's mysteries yourself!  Nice job, Pat.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/autumn-reflections.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/making-grid.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/patterns.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/pattern-b.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/c-d.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-rest.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/darning.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/3-squares.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/two-more-designs.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-last-rectangle.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/starting-corners.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/growing.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/lots-more-leaves.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/corners.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2014/10/autumn-reflections-done.html

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If you would like to see the posting about Mystery #5, click on this link.
http://lorettaspears.blogspot.com/2012/01/mystery-5-autumn-reflections.html

The Tree (Christmas Heirlooms Series)

Christmas Heirlooms The Tree

I've been wondering about The Tree for several years now but an eBay seller has finally posted this design so we can see this small ornament.  The Tree is a Needle Adventures chart distributed by Artists Collection as one of her Christmas Heirlooms ornament series.  The eBay seller says that the instructions are dated 1991 on the back side and graciously allowed me to repost her auction photographs here.

Closeup of The Tree

Here is a link to the auction where I found the information--
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIP-Loretta-Spears-Christmas-Heirloom-XStitch-Kit-The-Tree-/161443659183?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2596cabdaf

Not all the threads are included and I can't tell if the piece of green mono canvas has the LS logo or not.  Many thanks to the eBay seller susie-qpink for helping with information about this new Loretta ornament.


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Materials List:

7x7 inch square Santa Fe Green 18 count mono needlepoint canvas
Watercolours "Jade" #066 - one skein
Balger cord
Kreinik metallic ribbon (1/16 inch?)
Kreinik metallic (unknown braid size)

Christmas Heirlooms: Herringbone Stitch Ball NEW

Herringbone Stitch Ball, Courtesy of lrstitch-2008

A brand new Loretta design turned up on eBay this week.   The eBay seller kindly answered my questions about the name of the piece, the materials used and the copyright date on the chart.  She also allowed me to reuse the photographs from the auction here.  Thank you!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LORETTA-SPEARS-Herringbone-Stitch-Ball-Needlepoint-Chart-18-Mesh-Canvas-/321325600456?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad07f8ec8

UPDATE:  This previously unknown ornament sold for the beginning price of $3.99 plus $3.37 in shipping.  Someone got a nice bargain!  If it was you, please email me the list of materials and any other information you think I should add to this article at LorettaSpearsDesigns at gmail dot com.  Thanks!

Loretta named this ornament Herringbone Stitch Ball and it appears to be a herringbone pattern in white DMC floss on white 18 count canvas with size 16 Kreinik braid in pale pink or peach or possibly gold.  It is from the Christmas Heirlooms series and is a chart published under the Needle Adventures name in 1991.   The chart has a price sticker of $7 (first time I've seen pricing labels on these charts) and also has a sticker reading:

"Distributed By
The Artists Collection
5963 W. Indore Place
Littleton Colorado 80123
(303) 979-6936"

I presume this was the address and phone number of Loretta's shop.  This sticker is the first of this type I have seen also.  This may have been purchased at her shop.  The auction has a starting price of $3.99 plus $3.37 for "standard shipping."  The auction ends soon so if you want this beauty, act now.

Closeup of Herringbone Stitch Ball from Chart Cover

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Materials List:
18 count white Zweigart mono canvas
DMC white cotton floss
Kreinik size 16 braid (color unknown, may be gold although it looks peach or pink in the photograph)

Christmas Heirlooms from Dec. 1992 Needlepoint Plus on eBay UPDATED

The two Christmas roll up ornaments called Christmas Heirlooms that appeared in the December 1992 issue of Needlepoint Plus are for sale on eBay as part of a lot of all five of the magazines from that year.   The starting bid is $9.99 plus free expedited shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Needlepoint-Plus-Magazine-Lot-5-1992-107-108-110-111-112-Back-Issues-/291068673881?pt=Magazines&hash=item43c50b7f59

UPDATE:  The auction ended without a bid.  It has been relisted at a starting price of $9.99 plus fee shipping again.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Needlepoint-Plus-Magazine-Lot-5-1992-107-108-110-111-112-Back-Issues-/291084097030?pt=Magazines&hash=item43c5f6d606

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Springtime 1992, a New Christmas Heirloom (Needle Adventures)

Springtime 1992, Courtesy of Pjeclipse

Springtime 1992 has turned up on eBay.  This is a Needle Adventures publication I have not seen before. The month this was published is not listed anywhere in the chart, by the way.  The seller describes Springtime this way--"This 1992 Needle Adventures by Loretta Spears SPRINGTIME ornament uses the pinwheel stitch, continental stitch, bead cup stitch, large dimpled scotch, and dimpled alternating scotch stitch."  Here is the eBay auction link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=191036805531

Another View with Overdye and Canvas, Courtesy of Pjeclipse

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Lavendula Canvas, NN Overdye 178, and Balger

As you can see from the photo of several of the threads and the canvas recommended for this piece, the photos of Springtime from the cover of the chart are not true to the actual colors.

Materials List:
18 count Lavendula mono canvas 7" x 7" (in photo above)
Needle Necessities overdye floss - "Coventry Garden" #178 (in photo above)
Balger blending filament #013 - beige
Mill Hill beads #02209

Needle Necessities is no long in business.  Substitute ThreadworX cotton floss #11311 "Summer Flowers"
Balger threads are now sold under the name Krenik - substitute Kreinik blending filament #013 "Beige"

Many thanks to pjeclipse for permission to reuse photos and auction information!