My portrait of Elizabeth 1

Complete kit: instructions, canvas, threads and beads,

$338.00 includes shipping and insurance

ONLY ONE.

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Heart of Elizabeth

Complete kit: instructions, canvas, threads and beads.

$78.00 includes shipping and insurance

ONLY THREE

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My History with Elizabeth 1

I began stitching my portrait of Elizabeth 1 in April of 2009 and by July 2009, she was in her frame. It is hard to believe 12 years have gone by since I took my first stitch on Elizabeth.

People always ask me why I decided to stitch Elizabeth 1. My answer is an unusual one: I saw a little stitched Elizabeth 1 in a magazine, all out of shape and not very true to form at all. Its claim to fame: it used 'original Elizabeth stitches' and I guess that  made it authentic.

My journey with Elizabeth 1 began with this thought: 'what if I make Elizabeth 1 with NO authentic stitches,.' and so began my journey.

I had no idea back then that it would become my most popular and most frequently requested design. Indeed unpredictable.

I spent this year cleaning up and I found one complete kit and here it is. First person to find it and click on the PayPal button will have it.

I did unearth several parts of kits; I need time to see if I have enough to make another complete kit or two. If I do, it/they will turn up in another Surprise Windows offering. For now there's just this one.

Elizabeth 1, A Description of My Portrait

My portrait of Elizabeth is approximately 6 1/2" x 9 1/4" on white congress cloth. Stitched primarily in Soie d'Alger silk and Kreinik braid, the design densely covers the canvas, often in two layers. It is not a painted canvas, it is counted needlepoint.

The size of the congress cloth is 14 1/2" tall x 11 1/2" wide. The extra 1/2" is so you can turn under the edges of the congress cloth 1/4" and hem them if you wish. If you prefer to use tape, you can trim the excess.

The level is Intermediate; an advanced beginner can do the design if she counts well and takes it slowly stitch by stitch. The kit includes a doodle canvas and a hearty recommendation that you try a technique that may puzzle you on it first.

The beads are many and varied, mostly tiny little gold beads, many made especially for me, and a profusion of very tiny pearls. They are in baggies and keyed to the instructions, so there isn't guesswork in sorting them.

The kit includes instructions, a color copy of my Elizabeth, white congress cloth, a large piece and a doodle and all threads and beads: everything you need to make Elizabeth except stretcher bars and needles.

The instructions are hand-written; they are the last set I wrote by hand before I learned Illustrator. They are 67 pages long, plus a title page, two oversize graphs and a color copy of my Elizabeth.

Stitching Elizabeth

Stitching Elizabeth isn't difficult -- the face is totally graphed, so if you count accurately, it will look just like mine. The trickiest part of the design is the placement of the beads that form her necklace. But I give you bead-by-bead instructions and taken one at a time, it isn't difficult.

There are two parts I am particularly proud of: the first is Elizabeth's veil. People have asked me if I applied gauze to make it look like a veil and I say no, it is just an optical illusion. It does look like a gauzy veil but it isn't.

The other part I'm proud of is the sleeves, particularly the one on the left: the foreshortening worked and Elizabeth's arm does look like it comes out toward you. I also like that the cuffs look like they are on top of the sleeves.

There is a third part I am proud of: even though she isn't a project you can finish in a week, there are more finished Elizabeths than any other large design I've offered. It pleases me that so many people have finished her.

The techniques aren't difficult, as I said; tedious at times, but not difficult. When I first finished her, I thought she isn't more than an experienced beginner can handle. Since then I've learned, no she isn't difficult but you do have to watch what you are doing. The design is fairly tight and the parts of the design do need to align correctly for her to be a feasible figure. I guess the major skill you need is the ability to count accurately.

Wished for Elizabeth 1 but missed this one?

Email me. I have some supplies maybe they will make another

Heart of Elizabeth

When I found the complete kit of Elizabeth, I also found a baggie of Elizabeth supplies (beads and threads) and three complete kits of Heart of Elizabeth.

The Heart is  like a sampler of some of the techniques I used on the Portrait. The threads include Soie d'Alger, Kreinik braid and pearl cotton. The beads are the same as on the Portrait. The size of the heart is about 4.5" wide and tall, on white congress cloth 8" x 8".

The instructions are 24 pages long plus a title page and a color copy of my finished heart. The kit does not include instructions or supplies for finishing the heart into an ornament.

Instructions for the Portrait were the last set I drew by hand; The instructions for the Heart are drawn in Illustrator.