Taking Classes with Laura Taylor

Living in Southern California definitely has it's advantages.  Lots of sunshine, beautiful beaches and some really great needlepoint shops.  Lately, I've been hanging out at Aristeia Needlepoint in Santa Monica. Aristeia is home to some of the most talented teachers:  Laura Taylor, Beverly Churchfield, and Susan Portra.  Today, I would like to share a project that I've been working on with Laura.

Blue Bird Cage by Melissa Shirley

This canvas is called Blue Bird Cage and is by Melissa Shirley.  On my first visit to Aristeia, I saw Laura working on it.  I loved all the ribbon work and the beautiful stitches that she choose.

So far I've made progress on this little leaf and have begun stitching the bird.  I would have never chosen an eyelet for the bird's body.  I would have chosen something predictably boring.  This is why I love taking classes; it opens your eyes to so many possibilities.

I love how this bar of the cage turned out. Just the right amount of texture and shine.

Here is my attempt at some ribbon flowers.  Now that I've had some practice, I'm going to rip these out and restitch them. I've used ribbon before and have always struggled with it.  But Laura gave me some tips that I think will make these flowers look great.  When I'm done with this flower, I'll have these to work on...

I bought extra ribbon, so that I can practise getting this stitch right without running out thread.

Another benefit of taking a class with Laura Taylor are her wonderful heirloom tomatoes!

Happy Stitching!