Color Texture Stitch

COLOR KALEIDOSCOPE

2010-02-20T01:34:40Z

The last few weeks have been busy, with teaching a new class and finishing up proposals for 2011. I am putting the finishing touches on the last one today and they go in the mail on Monday! Color Kaleidoscope, shown above, is new I will be submitting, in addition to Leaf Collage (previously shown). As you can see I have finished the left side, complete with the beads. The total size is 7" X 7" but I do plan to add a border, which will add about another 1/2" to 1".

For the proposal I sketched in the outline for the second half and then blocked in the colors with two to three layers of water color, followed up with color pencils for definition. There wasn't enough room to scan the drawing turned on point as I would have liked.....but hopefully you can get the idea.

This is my interpretation of a 12-point color wheel with the emphasis being on complimentary and analogous colors. It has taken 31 threads and beads so far...just to stitch the first half....and I estimate 40 to 45 threads and beads overall.

I've had a lot of fun designing this project. Can you begin to pick out the complimentary color patterns? And I know it is might be hard to see, but the beads are in the skinniest, zig zag patterns (green and red-orange). I really like those flat, square beads.

Wishing everyone a great week and better weather.

Buttonhole Stitch

2010-01-18T22:41:53Z

Thanks for visiting! I know it has been awhile.....again. I have been posting infrequently at best. During the last three weeks I've finished the Olivia Ostrich instruction book (shown in my most recent post). Now I am in the middle of the Funky Rose instructions which will be a pilot class in March. One of the features of this design is a large buttonhole stitch rose stitched with River Silks 7mm ribbon.

In the process of writing the instructions I have been creating stitch diagrams and graphs and have been reviewing all that I have previously created using buttonhole stitches. And there it was.......my very first "In Stitches" column in the May 2007 issue of Needle Pointers magazine. The sample I stitched for it has lots of examples of various used for buttonhole so I thought it might be fun to show them again here. And here are the basic stitch diagrams for reference. I hope you get some ideas you're able to use in your projects. Buttonhole stitches add lots of texture as you can see.

Have a great week!

Olivia Ostrich

2009-12-28T03:54:08Z

Time really flies by between Thanksgiving and Christmas....or at least it does for me. About halfway between I always if everything will get done, but it always does. Our family Christmas was very nice and I hope yours was the same!

During the last few weeks I have been designing and stitching the column I write for the May 2010 through March 2011 issues of the ANG Needle Pointers Magazine. I'm happy to say all six of them are just about completed. I continued the theme I started last year as stitchers have told me they enjoy seeing the "tile patterns". So I hope you'll look for them.

Now on to the next project. Before I get started stitching on another proposal, I must write the instruction book for Olivia Ostrich. I designed and stitched this piece back in 2001 but set it aside. But a few months ago the members were told to bring something we had stitched some time ago. I thought this would be a good project to bring as my designs have changed somewhat since that time. Several of the guild members liked it, Olivia is kind of silly and fun, and now we are having it as a one-day workshop in early February. There's that "time" thing again....so much to do, so little time.

The project was originally stitched on 24 count Congress, but it should translate easily to 18 count, so I'm offering it in both sizes. The stitching was done with limited threads: stranded silk, Kreinik #4 braid, metallic cord, and Arctic Rays and the finished size, including the border is 3-3/4" X 9" on 24 count. Depending on the response, Olivia might be available as a future kit.

I will be back sooner next time, and hopefully with some progress photos of the next new design.

Happy New Years to everyone!

A stitched leaf.....

2009-11-28T22:18:59Z

Well, the first leaf....the Ginkgo....is finally done! The technique used is what I think of as "rustic". I love the look created with carefully blended silk threads, but do not feel it fits well with the type of textured pieces I tend to design. I am trying to capture the essence......the colors, texture and movement....of each leaf with a limited number of well-placed stitches.

I used stranded silk thread for this leaf, except for the stem, but I varied the number of strands, with more strands being used for the two oranges. (The background is meant to peek through in places!)

Still to come is some type of openwork stitch for the background around the leaf, but I haven't decided on the stitch yet. It will definitely be stitched to blend in with the background.

Now I must set this design aside for a few months while I work on some other designs. But, I want to comment on another piece from the past....The Plump Pear! I have had several inquiries about it recently, and have to admit 've been stalled with it. But I've had a few suggestions which I plan to incorporate (thank you!) and plan to get back to it. It isn't abandoned, just resting!

Well, I'm off now to do some online Christmas shopping! Happy Weekend!

Leaf Collage Update II

2009-11-18T03:23:10Z

A few people have checked on me to make sure I'm still here because it has been so long between postings! When I last posted I was leaving for a few days to teach a workshop and when I returned I realized my studio was just too much of a disorganized mess to continue. So, among other things I have been doing lots of little reorganization jobs. It was too much to consider the whole problem as a whole. The job is certainly not done.....is it ever? But things are back on track and I actually have my worktable back.

I have been stitching on Leaf Collage and am posting an update here. I will post one more photo in a day or two and then it will have to be set aside while I stitch on a few more projects. I promise to continue with the project later! Since the last update I have completed the "zig zag" vertical band and the frame at the lower right. The frame is a slanted gobelin variation worked in two colors. A little finicky to stitch but it certainly gives an interesting effect. The rust, red and orange area at the top center is new. I'm calling it a "gingham" stitch but it is stitched on the diagonal instead of the usual straight stitches. The final new area is the background. You can just catch the little bit of glitter. Just enough stitching to integrate the rest of the stitching with the open background. The last update before the hiatus will be one stitched leaf.

I've also been asked whatever happened to the Plump Pear. Well, it has stalled a little, but I definitely plan to get back to that too....and will update that project also. One of the issues is that I have realized I won't be able to kit with several of the threads I've already used and need to see what is available as substitutes. When a teacher is thinking in terms of teaching projects, this is always a consideration.

So, many projects in the works but little to show right now. But keep checking back. Over the next 3 months I hope to have several projects to show you.

Happy stitching!

Leaf Collage update

2009-10-22T22:26:12Z

First...a note about the above photo. Just a reminder this project is on eggshell canvas. It was taken outside today with great natural lighting. Most of the previous postings have been scanned images which tend to bleach out the canvas. But, this photo and the original ones of the individual leaves most closely represent what I see when I am stitching. Of course I think the colors on everyone's monitor is different!

It has been 17 days since my last post with very little to show for myself in the way of stitching progress. But, I wanted to show what I have done anyway. The last time I was unhappy with the vertical band on the left....too bright after the background was added. A reader suggested copper as a possibility and she was right. This new version is more copper and orange.....less gold.....so it has a little softer look. I also used copper in the frame to the right of the vertical band. There are three threads in the frame. It's a rice stitch! The overdyed thread is a coppery orange and mauve/purple. I plan to add a few subtle rose to mauve threads here and there. One is used with copper in the skinny vertical band on the right side.

The question I have now is if I need to change the vertical band to the very right.....the one in blue/green and gold? I should take my own advice and wait until I have most of it done before deciding....or have added more color around it. Or maybe the stitch itself is not the right choice. Something to be decided later.

I am leaving in the morning for a teaching trip and when I return on Monday afternoon I have no more flying trips planned until March. So I plan to start stitching again in earnest. The holidays will be here before we know it and then.....where does the time go?!?

So I hope to be back with a significant update in about a week to 10 days.

Happy Halloween to Everyone!!

New design - work continues

2009-10-06T05:16:38Z

I haven't been able to do any stitching on the new leaf design since my last posting but I finally took the plunge and colored in the area I plan to be exposed canvas, or only lightly stitched. I used a marker technique using three Copic transparent markers. The colors used were a light green, a medium-dark blue green and a dark indigo. I used the three markers in order, and changed direction with each of the 7 layers. The resulting effect is supposed to be rather like a coarse linen fabric.

The scan is only of the left side of the design, but gives a good idea of how the technique looks.

The result might look at little rough right now, but there will be a little light stitching over the marker areas which will help to tie the areas together. One interesting thing I did realize was that I really should have added the marker earlier....but I just couldn't design which markers and layering I wanted to use before today. I kept making different samples, but never could settle on one. Now that the background is in, I realize I think the orange and yellow gold vertical strip is too bright and I will re-stitch it in slightly softer tones. Oh well....i'm no stranger to "unstitching".

I will be away for a few days and then back to stitching next week and will post more then. So, wishing everyone a great week.

New design - stitching begins

2009-09-21T18:56:19Z

This past week had lots going on....but sometimes this can be a good thing. We had our first guild meeting since June so it was fun to catch up with everyone. And my husband and I had a chance to have lunch with our older daughter and son-in-law and had a great time.

But that means things in the studio kept piling up and it's now a big mess with the supplies for lots of individual projects covering every available surface. But at least I have plans to get it all straightened out....the first step!

But I did complete a few things. I marked all the canvases for an upcoming pilot....so that is great! But I had to move back to the dining room table to mark them as there was no flat surface big enough in the studio.

And, I stitched each evening on the new design. As you can see I have started with (generally) the top two layers. For this design it seems the best approach is to work with lightest teals and greens first. So these are now in. Step two is two stitch the areas with the lightest/brightest gold and orange shades. The first small band is almost done.

I have been continuing to experiment with the best combination of markers for the background and think I'm about ready to take the plunge and color it in. You can see where the background color will be blocked in by referring back to the scan of the original sketch (posted a little over a week ago. The small narrow band inside the picture frame in the center of the photo is what I've decided to work toward. It's a tricky color as it appears slightly green when stitched (next to greens), but it is really a dark indigo blue thread. At this point I plan to use three different markers and four passes of marker to approximate of color.

Major goal for this week: finish the instruction book for the upcoming pilot and start putting together the thread kits.

And stitching continues....

A New Design - prepping the canvas

2009-09-13T22:33:43Z

Well, the ANG Seminar in Milwaukee was great. All my classes went well and all the volunteers did a really wonderful job of making everything run smoothly. But, of course, as much I look forward to it, I am always glad to get back home!

It seems to take about a week to get caught up and ready to move forward. So here I am, just now finishing up the Leaf Collage canvas....with big plans to take my first stitches this evening.

In a recent blog entry I showed a picture of the original proposal and a postcard showing the direction I want to go with color. The next step was to redo the original leaf drawings and change the colors a little to work better with the planned changes. Then, I experimented with transferring these drawings to the eggshell 18 count canvas.

TRANSFERING THE LEAF DESIGNS

I tried both Tee-shirt transfer paper and the new Transfer Artist Paper by Leslie Riley. Both worked but for my needs the Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) gave just the look I was hoping for....and it's really easy to use!!

****Just a note about the pictures.....these are a combination of scans and photos so the canvas color is not consistent - all the canvas is eggshell 18 count mono canvas.

The scan at right is of the right half of the design showing two more leaf designs. You can see a partial image of a leaf shown above (helpful for scale).

For this design I had to plan the general layout in greater detail than I usually do because the leaf transfers needed to be added before any stitching is done. Even though I had work through several of the transfer sheets with my experiments, the combination of the heat of the iron and the length of time I ironed the design caused the surrounding canvas to darken a little....at the beginning, but that is not a problem with this design. And, by the time I reached the 5th and final leaf, I had gotten the timing down pretty well.....15 to 20 seconds is all that is needed for these small leaf patterns. By the way, I scanned in my original painted drawings and arranged them all on one 8-1/2" by 11" sheet so they would print on one sheet of transfer paper. Then I cut them to size and ironed.

NOTE: If you are trying this technique: BE SURE TO CREATE MIRROR IMAGES OF THE DESIGN BEING USED, so it will print properly. Also, Ised the settings of"other specialty paper: and "Best" (printing quality).

NOW TO STITCHING!

I sorted through threads again last night. I had about 10 new ones to add (purchased at M's Canvashouse boutique at Seminar) and then removed about 10 to 15 from the previous selection.

I will post follow-ups as stitching progresses.

Have a great week!

ANG Seminar

2009-08-26T03:59:38Z

I'm afraid I didn't have time to get back to working on the Leaf Collage design as I had hoped. Things just kept cropping up which needed to be done before I leave again. Now the time is almost here and I leave for the ANG Seminar on Thursday morning and won't return home until the evening of September 5th. If you are attending I know you will have a great time. Please stop by to say hello!

The week after I return home I will definitely be working on moving the design forward so I can begin stitching it.....and posting photos of any progress.

Wishing everyone a great few weeks.....and lots of stitching time.