Vintage Pears

I finished the Groom's pants today and decided to work a little on a piece that I put away when the Halloweenies started up in February. Tonight I'm working on a Melissa Shirley piece, Vintage Pears. I happened to see the canvas on eBay and was able to successfully bid on it and buy it at a very reduced price. I purchased the threads and the stitch guide by Beverly Churchfield of Aristeia from Aristeia. The threads are incredible and I love the way they blend with the beautifully painted canvas to create such lovely shading in the pears.

 

Obviously I have a long way to go on this piece. It really has taken a 5 month back seat to the Halloween crowd. 

If you follow the Aristeia link above, you can read about their fabulous stitching retreat this fall at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel at Dana Point, CA. Melissa Shirley designs a canvas for them each year for their retreat. This year it's one of those fabulous floral bags (a camellia) that we have seen photos of from the TNNA show.  That would be a dream trip! I can dream can't I?

Have a good evening -

P.S. Remember I said I was going to grill polenta last night for supper? Well, I learned a valuable lesson. Just because a recipe is posted on the Food Network website doesn't mean it is correct. There is a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Parmesan Rosemary polenta that sounds delicious but the liquid proportions are all of of whack. I thought the soupy polenta would solidify and I could cut it into squares as directed in the recipe. No such luck. It all went down the disposal. I would have had better luck if I had just cooked regular grits. I may try that tomorrow.