Since last featured, Anthony Minieri has made the leap to a full time needlework career. When offered the position of Designer and Teacher in Residence at The Edwardian School of Needle Arts in Bloomfield, NJ, Tony insisted on one condition - that the primary focus in developing the curriculum be on education. For want of a better title, Tony refers to himself as the Headmaster. He has developed a series of notebook classes entitled Stitching Adventures in which Tony guides each student on a Stitch Journey, Color Excursion and Thread Travel, in turn. Last year Tony designed and taught a series of monthly projects using a band sampler format, each highlighting a pertinent holiday theme. Wanting to initiate something more extensive and challenging, he designed a Sampler Quilt on Canvas project, Stars for a New Millennium, which will span this entire year. Stitchers work on one block each month using overdyed threads from four distinct color families. His goal is to familiarize stitchers with color interaction and to teach them how to create balance between colors, threads, stitches and textures. In a class of 70 students, 52 different color combinations have evolved. When complete, Tony intends to publish the project as a commercial design, which will include many of the different color, thread and stitch combinations used.

Additionally, Tony has his own column in the publication needlepoint now, entitled Adventures in Embellishment. Look for it in your next issue of needlepoint now.

For more information on Anthony Minieri Designs and Tony's teaching schedule contact him at:
phone: (973) 523- 1368
e mail: stoocozzo@aol.com

For information on Anthony Minieri's classes at The Edwardian School of Needle Arts, contact:
The Edwardian Needle
225 Belleville Ave.
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
phone: (973) 743- 9833
fax: (973) 680- 1162
e mail: edwneedle@aol.com
website: http://www.theedwardianneedle.com

For more information on needlepoint now magazine, contact them at:
P.O Box 729
Prince George, VA 23875
phone: (804) 732- 9140
fax: (804) 732- 5601
e mail: editorial2@needlepointnow.com
website: http://www.needlepointnow.com

Part I

The beauty of an antique perfume bottle with atomizer, coupled with the beauty of silks and metallics and wonderfully textured stitches and techniques bring "Autumnal Scentiment" to life. In this class, designed for the experienced stitcher, you will experience Free-form Fly Stitch, Florentine Patterning, Rhodes, Fleur-de-Lis Crescents, Whipped Backstitch, Stem and Venetian Cloth Stitch. While learning these techniques you will work with three luscious Caron Collection threads: Waterlilies, Impressions and Soie Cristale, as well as floss and metallic braid. (Click on the picture below for a full size photo for reference.)

Materials you will need 8" x 10" piece of cream Congress cloth from OOE Stretcher bars to fit canvas. (Both hands need to be free to stitch.) Regular stitching supplies including a laying tool Threads: one skein each Waterlilies, 062, Burnt Toast Impressions, 1136, Light Chocolate Soie Cristale, 3056, Light Rust Kreinick #8 Braid, 221, Antique Gold (Note: Candlelight D1, gold, from The Caron Collection can be substituted) DMC floss, 316, Antique Mauve (Note: this is used in the background. Your choice of Soie Cristale or Waterlilies may be substituted.)

If you wish to choose your own colors, first pick a Waterlilies, then pull the other threads to coordinate, choosing a coordinating metallic last.

To use Waterlilies, Impresssions and Soie Cristale, open the skein and cut through the skein at the knot. You will have all one-yard lengths. Use the number of strands or plies specified in the instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start 3" down from the upper left corner of the canvas and 3 l/4" to the right with the Rhodes stitch at the top of the perfume bottle.

AREA 1. Perfume Bottle Top. Use one strand of metallic throughout.

1. Rhodes stitch. The placement of the final stitch gives each particular Rhodes its own personality and direction. Do backstitches around the Rhodes as illustrated in the master chart.

2. Spray Spout. Gobelin stitch tied down with vertical stitches.

3. Connector to atomizer. Horizontal Cashmere -- see master chart above

4. Neck below Rhodes stitch. Vertical encroaching gobelin.

5. Bottle cap. Gobelin stitches. See Master Chart and Diagram 3. Work in vertical rows, paying careful attention to the placement of the stitches. Note that for the bottom stitches of the outer rows three stitches share one hole.

6. Collar at base of cap. Diagonal tent surrounded by backstitches. Note that the tent stitch changes direction for each side. The backstitches will be whipped after the bottle has been stitched.

AREA 2. Perfume Bottle Upper Areas.

1. With one strand of metallic, work 2 rows of vertical "over 4" backstitches to delineate the central area from the two side areas. When the central area and 2 side areas are completed, whip these backstitches.

2. Thread your needle with 3 plies of Waterlilies in the following manner. Cut the skein at the knot and strip off 3 plies from one length of thread. Line up the variegations on two and turn the other strand opposite to create a blend of colors.

3. Leaves, central area. With the Waterlilies stitch the 5 leaves in the central area in the Free-form Fly Stitch.

a) A fly stitch is formed by leaving a straight stitch loose and tying it down so that you form a "V".

b) Follow the appropriate diagram to give either a right or left slant to the leaf you are stitching. Begin with the bottom leaf. Stitch 1-2 is a vertical straight stitch. Stitch 3-4, tied down by 5-6, is your first fly stitch. As you bring your needle to the surface for stitch 5-6, pull up and this action will give the fly stitch its proper shape and placement.

4. Vine. With one strand of Impressions, stitch the vine in whipped backstitch. First, work the backstitches from top to bottom. When you reach the last backstitch, bring your needle to the surface, sharing the hole at the bottom of the stitch. Wrap by sliding the thread underneath each backstitch once. Begin at the bottom and always approach the wrap from the same side and pull the thread in the direction you are moving. When you reach the top of the vine, plunge your needle to the back. This covers the segmentation of the backstitches and creates a smooth unbroken curve. See Diagram 6.

 

5. Background behind vine and leaves. With 2 plies of Soie Cristale, work the background in basketweave. The left side should be done in the traditional slant. For the right side, reverse the slant of your stitches. You may find it easier to turn the canvas one-quarter turn and work in the traditional manner to achieve this.

 

6. Side sections, upper portion of bottle. With 3 plies of Waterlilies, work the Florentine pattern from the top down on each side. The first full row of each side is illustrated on the Master Chart. The compensation for both the top and bottom of each side is charted for you on Diagram 7.

 

7. Division between upper and lower portions of bottle. Use metallic thread for the scalloped row of whipped backstitch.

Part II Autumnal Scentiment taught by Anthony Minieri

Part III Autumnal Scentiment taught by Anthony Minieri

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: No part of these instructions nor the included designs/charts can be reproduced or distributed in any form (including electronic) or used as a teaching tool without the prior written permission of Anthony Minieri. One time reproduction privileges provided to our web site visitors for and limited to personal use only.