It’s not Halloween but it’s Spookin time.  Just back from the finisher, I wanted to share my stitched and finished version of Leigh’s Spookin.  The finishing really does make the piece!

I started this one day, channeling my inner Brenda Hart.  We were in class, Sue was stitching this piece with Brenda and I was just hanging out.  I decided to do a different version of the canvas.

The face is a fun couching pattern that allows all the shading to shine through.  The facial features were a bear to stitch.  Heaven knows I can’t see to stitch black.  They are black snow stitched in a semi-open pattern and then filled with hot fix crystals!

The curly vine and stem are simply rows of chain stitches worked using various silk ribbons and Kreinik 1/8″ hologram ribbon.  I think I was an embroiderer in another life.  I like the free-form nature of embroidery stitches.

Since I had so much fun with the facial features and black on black I needed something different for the background.  I used a great stitch from one of Brenda’s books called Coins.  It makes a great background and it goes fast!  Sparkly silver lamé behind the needlepoint shines through making the piece even more magical.

Sue did finish her’s after class and way before I finished mine.  It has a totally different vibe.  If you look close you will see that Brenda had her work a darning pattern of cats in the face of the pumpkin.  Sue’s is elegant and refined. 

Stay tuned there may be future sightings where we both stitch the same piece differently. We have very similar taste in canvases.  Thanks for sharing, Sue.