Marken bands...

A few years ago I read in Piecework magazine (Nov/Dec 1996...wow, time flies!) an article about the hair bands of Marken. Wonderful cross stitched bands worked in black thread on snowy white linen. Each family had their own band, the pattern a carefully guarded secret handed down through the generations and worn by the women on what was known as a Big Cap...a cap made up of 12 pieces pinned together while on the head and worn even while sleeping! The stitched band was horizontal across the top of the forehead, and covered with a piece of gauzy fabric, making it difficult to distinguish the design by the casual observer. The design of the band was such a closely guarded secret, they were washed and hung to dry inside...just in case someone saw them hanging on the line and copied the pattern!

Where am I going with this, you ask? Right back to the Needleprint site! Jacqueline offers a sampler made up of wonderful Marken bands, and I just could not resist it! The pattern is lovely, printed on high quality card stock, and includes information about the Marken Bands. I love it done in the black, but there is a whisper in my ear that says "do it in blue"...beautiful indigo blue on white linen...but it would be equally as beautiful in red...or green...

Keep stitching ladies!

Mary Wigham update, and software fun

This is my progress on Mary Wigham to date. I have had a few attacks of nasty frogs, or I would be further along with her. I am still subbing colours in some places, and I have added 3045 to my choices. I may take out the paler yellows and redo them in 3045, esp the small medallion just to the left of the blue flowers. It doesn`t show up very well against the cream. My goal is to finish Mary this month. Think i`ll make it?

Distracting me from MW is a wonderful new software program that I got with an e copy of the Beatrix Potter sampler. It`s called Jane Greenoff`s Cross Stitch Designer. Needleprint is offering infinity charts for use with it. They are called infinity because they will last you to infinity.You can change colours, flip, rotate, delete...in short, you can customize charts to your hearts content. You can import pics and change them to patterns, and print as many copies as you`d like. And, of course, you can design your own charts from scratch, print them out, and stitch away! The Beatrix Potter infinity chart including the software download is only $20.00 US !! There is a separate blog now for the infinity charts and masterclasses on using the software. I only wish there were more hours in the day for playing and stitching!

Keep stitching ladies!