Melitastitches4fun's Blog

I can’t find what should have been my final post about Vases with Curly Bamboo by Sharon G showing mine framed and letting you know that Linda M, Beth T, and I from ANG Main Line Stitchers submitted our canvases to Needle Pointers for The Tale of Two Stitchers (in this case three) series of articles.

The article discusses the roundness and light reflection. During our meeting discussions, we focused more on the degree of coverage based on a stitch guide and threads from Sharon G (my canvas) and Amy Bunger (Linda). Beth used a combination of those stitches or selected her own stitches after hearing and seeing the discussion.

From class notes and Sharon G’s stitch guide, it was clear that Sharon wanted the canvas to show through. In fact, Sharon G gave 2 Diamond Ray options for the Green vase. I did not use the alternative option with an even more open lacy look. The Burgundy and Blue vases both used single strands of silk floss in between the canvas threads which allows the coloring of the canvas to show through. The Gold vase has the fullest coverage and is the only one of the 5 vases to use 2 colors of thread to enhance the shading. The Cinnamon vase uses the most multi-step composite stitch pattern of the five vases.

When Linda asked Amy Bunger about her approach to this canvas, said, “My approach to designing a stitch guide for any canvas is to attempt to keep the mood, depth and flow of the original design. This design shows a more formal mood in the vases and border with just a touch of whimsy in the curly bamboo. It was easy to determine which areas of design should come forward versus recede and where I should keep a balanced upright appearance versus a slanted or diamond pattern.” Amy’s stitch guide allowed even more of the shading of the vases to show through especially on three of the vases (Green, Burgundy, and Gold). The composite stitch used on the Blue vase was more open than the Cinnamon vase composite stitch which has the fullest coverage.

From the unstitched canvas, you see the light source coming from the upper left corner. The T stitch and the very light blue silk floss for the background selected by Sharon G reinforces the issue of the light source. She said, “I chose a very delicate almost invisible stitch for the background. I thought of a few others, but did not want to detract from the vases. In my mind, simple equals elegant. I think the very light blue can represent the vases resting on a window ledge.”

For the border, Sharon G introduced black within her multiple rows. From the ANG Stitch of the Month 2005 – October, we know Sharon G’s view on borders, “I love to contain my designs in an elegant border made up of a combination of stitches. This allows a bit of containment for the design. For framed pieces, a border allows the eye to be drawn to the needlework, rather than to the frame.” Beth and Linda followed the coloring of the painting. However, Beth selected a more textured look with all threads and while Linda used beads and thread to complete the border.

If you are a member of ANG, you can see the other 2 canvases in the article published in the Needle Pointers Jan/Feb 2021 issue. Better late than never – right!

If you’re not a member of ANG, you should be – go to needlepoint.org and join. Then, join a local chapter (find one listed by state under Chapters), Cyberpointers (Cyberpointers.org), or both.

Beginning on May 2 for 5 days, I am leading the Cyberpointers meeting program, A Stash Sampler. Hope you join us for the program, discussions, or both.