Stitcher:

Designer:

Stitcher's comments:

When I first saw this canvas, I knew it would be a challenge to stitch and would possibly take months to finish. The four-sided house was painted on one large piece of canvas and the two-sided roof was separate. The designer kindly agreed to paint it in five pieces, making it even more tempting to buy. I also knew that I would need help in selecting the right stitches and threads to make this piece come alive. I decided that I was up for the challenge, and promptly ordered the canvas and signed up for a "Cook Up a Canvas" class with Amy Bunger.

Amy wrote the stitch guide for the front, back and roof of the house. I felt confident that I could tackle anything she suggested. Little did I know that when it was completed, I would have mastered raised spiders, perfected bullion roses, made more gathered flowers than I could count and attached over 15,000 petite seed beads. But I loved every minute!

In my thirty years of stitching, I have been very fortunate to have taken classes from many gifted and talented needlepoint teachers. Borrowing some of Amy's ideas, I confidently planned the stitch guide for the two sides, surprising even myself with the result.