Well do you? yours might be a need of a thread or needles or stretcher bars, well mine is usually “how does this look?” or in this case “are the tires too big?”

In the scheme of things, a Needlpoint 911 is really not the end of the world, but when you are working against deadlines and are stitching a model for Raymond, for the trade show and to teach, shop owners are asking for a picture of it and so much more…the pressure can really get to you.

Will Raymond like it? will the shop owners like it? will the class be popular? will Raymond sell lots of canvases? OMG and it doesn’t stop there!

Well a few weeks ago, I truly did have a Needlepoint 911… as I know I gotta get this finished. I needed to order the last of my threads, I need to write the stitch guide and I need to find these beads that I used. My original idea was to shop for O-rings or washers to create the wheels, as how else do you create a round tire? If I used washers, the wheels would be too flat and there would be some padding needed to round them out. I found these perfectly sized O-rings for the train and after I created the train tracks, it was time for the wheels.

Well the wrapping of the wheels with the Kreinik was too way too much shine, so I started thinking of Plan B and came up with this idea. I liked it, it worked…but would others like it as much? I took a picture and texted it to my 2 go to needlepoint buddies. Time passed maybe an hour or more and no answer, well it was a Sunday afternoon and what was I thinking? but I was anxious for an answer!

I knew Brenda Hart was in town teaching, so instead I took off for a little visit to her class. If she approved, then I knew I was on the right track… no pun intended. Well Brenda loved it as did all the students and I was thrilled and breathed such a sigh of relief!

Next it was time to work out the background. I knew what thread I was using and I wanted something with some movement. I originally thought out in my mind of a darning pattern of a pumpkin, a spider or a bat. The latter was too big and wasn’t working, so out came the books. I thought about Brenda Hart’s stitch called Batwings and have used that before.

Instead I came up with my own and I am calling it Falling Pumpkins, based on Brenda’s Falling Rain stitch. I dropped a little pumpkin into the stitch every so often. Placed in such a position in the stitch sequence that you could easily take it out or use it anywhere else.

AlleyCat parked herself on my lap and slept as I stitched and stitched and stitched. I am sure glad that I didn’t vacuum before I finished the canvas! and yes it is all finished and stop by tomorrow for a look see!

and until next time…keep on stitching