A close up of beautiful layers of stitches, ribbons, buttons, and beads on this French girl's dress!
French girls at the farmer’s market with brightly colored and patterned clothing, holding big baskets of flowers and produce are a favorite of John’s or maybe Melissa’s favorite as there are many canvases with this theme in Melissa’s line. It is hard to decide which to needlepoint!
French girls from Aristeia in Santa Monica, California with a custom frame to go with it! I LOVE this! The needlepoint girls really have lots of dimension because of the lightly stitched background.
Lynn C. stitched these French girls and I only wish we had a bigger picture. This was stitched early in Lynn's needlepoint career and she did an outstanding job on it!
Framed with the mirror below, this canvas is truly an artist’s masterpiece stitched by the ever talented Betsy G. Betsy stitches with such freedom and joy and her canvases show it. An art major, Betsy is very artistic with her needlepoint and is very bold with trying new things on her canvases.
Johanssen canvas made into a mirror is wonderful in this California house by the sea. Yours truly taking the picture. The mirror and framing from Davis Hardware and Framing in Houston, Texas.
Betsy G., the stitcher of this marvelous mirror, selected this cute trim from the Ribbonry to add around her needlepoint. She also cleverly used the pom poms for the center of the border flowers, too! I love this layering of stitches, thread used in an unusual way, and beads. Lorikeet wool from Gloriana was not taken apart but used as a whole strand as is for the petals of the sunflowers, in lazy daisies.
Betsy used two flower trims for the flowers in her border, criss crossing them over each other. What a wonderful layering of stitches and trims for her border. Silk ribbon and picot ombre ribbon used for flowers and trim on hat. Betsy's initial in the top corner.
The other corner showing the layered border, silk ribbon flowers and the cute straw hat done in raffia.
An enameled chicken button goes so well with the painted and stitched chickens. The detail in the skirt is quite amazing with the beaded border and tiny stitch on the bottom of the dress. A laid filling is used for the grass.
The bottom of this skirt is trimmed with striped beads.
A very detailed bow with 2 kinds of ribbon sewed on the beads.
John Johanssen also enjoys painting Madonnas in all sorts of dress.
Betsy G. also stitched this very large Madonna and did an outstanding job. Sunflower Madonna.
Mary R. stitched outstandingly on the small ornament size Madonna. She used pre made sequin flowers, lots of beads, Swarovski crystals, and pressed glass flowers layered with vintage lucite flowers. I think this is lovely!
Here are two more young girls all dressed up!
The bread girl stitched by my daughter, Virginia T. She did a very wonderful stitch on this adorable girl and used pre made flowers, beads, and trim. Framing by Davis Hardware and Framing, Ribbon trim around the needlepoint is from the Ribbonry, my shop in the Chaparral.
Girl with a Dove. I had the very best time stitching this and loved the canvas the moment I saw it. I do have a stitch guide available through your favorite needlepoint store. I loved layering the ribbons and trims, adding lots of pre made flowers, pressed glass beads, Swarovski crystals and seed beads, and a beaded watermelon which can be purchased through the Ribbonry at Chaparral Needlework.
This canvas was truly a joy to stitch and is one of my favorites.
To see Melissa Shirley Designs collection of John Johanssen canvases, go to Melissa’s website below: