Filed under: Celtic Knot, Dare to Design With Orna Willis, General comments, Threads
Have you ever had threads get twisted when you stitch? Who hasn’t? Well, I heard people try and explain z twist and s twist. While I understand it, I can’t see it. Until I can see the different twists, I will use the simple tip I heard from Cleo at my EGA Brandywine Chapter meeting which is to use the thread as it comes off the skein. This means that the beginning of the thread goes in the eye of the needle. Then, cut the other end and finish with that end. I was seeing issues with Trebizond and now I’m not.
This is the beginning of the second design that has come out of my design class with Orna Willis. My paintings reminded Patrick from my ANG Chapter of a Celtic Knot. I don’t know if the stitched piece in my colors will still remind him of a Celtic Knot but that’s what I’ve called this design.
Here are the paintings.
I tried to paint in my stitched colorway but didn’t do great.
Here’s the inner area stitched (sequins and beads will be added last). I’m using Trebizond TRA 381 Orange Sherbet, 3586 Birds of Paradise, 343 Peach Sorbet, Bijout MMT 429 Jasper, Kreinik 1/16″ ribbon 2122, and Watercolours 144 Pomegranate in this inner area.
A different color of Trebizond, Bittersweet TRA 376, replaced the Orange Sherbet TRA 381 into the next surrounding area.
I love how it’s looking but it certainly isnt easy to stitch due to the nonsymmetrical features and the weaving. I could stop here and add beads and it’d be a pretty little thing but I am going to keep on going!! All these threads are from the kit that came with Orna’s class. Even after I finish this piece, I’ll have threads enough to stitch at least a third piece!
This is a Stitch & Zip eyeglass case called Roses (SZ309 from 1999) by Alice Peterson Co. It’s a painted 14 count canvas. It comes with cotton embroidery thread but I replaced that with threads from my stash including Silk & Ivory (50% silk and 50% Merino wool; colors: 55-kiwi, 56-lime, 161-lida rose, and 162-rosie o’grady) and Vineyard Merino (100% wool; color: M1136 conch). Using wool and stitching with basketweave should improve durability.
I couldn’t get the top edge to look like the rest – the angle was straight instead of angled. I saw my stitching buddy, Linda had stitched a Stitch & Zip with the proper edging. She explained and showed me how to do it. I don’t quite understand why it works but by turning the canvas upside down and stitching left to right with the needle moving straight up, the thread ends up angled correctly (like basketweave).
We got a wonderful new neighbor in the Spring and couldn’t be happier that she bought the house. Her name is Rose and she has a son who lives with her and occasionally watches his 5-year old son. He’s a cutie – loves science – smart kid. We are not Facebook friends yet so I can post that this will be a gift for her. A rose design for Rose.
But, first, I want to line it and again Linda has agreed to help me. She’s very good with sewing and is always generous by sharing her knowledge and experience. Thanks in advance!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Brandywine Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, Fiber Art
My EGA Brandywine chapter had a challenge to stitch on paper. I had saved a print from New American Paintings, a catalog of the fourteenth open studios competition, a juried exhibition from Feb 1998 at a flea market. Many of the pictures were interesting, different, and colorful. I did Fruit Basket by Stacy Thomas-Vickory last time when I had suggested stitching on paper to my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter (search ‘fiber’ on my blog). This time I have a print of leaves by Jamie Brunson, an artist in Oakland, CA. I used 1 strand of DMC 935 to stitch the veins on some of the leaves. The rest of the leaves won’t be stitched.
Needle Pointers magazine has published Scotch Stew in the May/June 2018 issue! The magazine is late reaching our homes but it got posted online a week ago. So, I knew that it wasn’t on the cover. But, it’s so rewarding and fun to see my design published. I can’t show much of what was published due to copyright issues but this should be ok.
Again, Pam Gardner did a magnificent job of diagramming the stitches and clarifying text I suggested. I was able to send her better diagrams than previous published pieces and she said that made it much easier for her. I sent everything to her shortly after Seminar last year and was able to practice using computer skills that I learned from Cynthia Thomas.
This was my second attempt at an all Scotch stitch design. Here is the piece framed (by Repenning Fine Arts in Audubon, NJ). It received a third place ribbon at Seminar last year. Both of my Scotch pieces will look great on our newly painted bedroom walls.
Postscript 1. I was thrilled to hear that a favorite designer of mine stitched this in another colorway and shared it with me – very pretty. Also, nice to hear that it was easy to follow the instructions and diagrams. She’s going to use it as a lead-in to a meeting program about changing colors or threads in a published project.
Postscript 2. I got a lovely thank you note from Diane from Needle Pointers magazine for sharing the design and I got an extra copy of the magazine.
Postscript 3. An ANG chapter stitched my design in another colorway and posted it on Needlepoint Nation (https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/3636499066427225/)! It turned out great and made my day!
This is Lotus Kimono by Lee (SPM 279) with the Lily Pads (right upper and lower green areas) and Trumpet Leaves (left olive green areas) stitched.
I wanted similar but different stitches for these areas. And, I was ok with some canvas showing through. In fact, I thought it would be better even though the threads I selected match the canvas so well. So, for the Lily Pad, I selected a stitch that lies on the true diagonal, a Double Woven Plait. The Trumpet Leaves has more of an angle. So, I settled on Herringbone Ground I. Both stitches came from Keys to Canvas Embellishment by Julia Snyder.
I didn’t break the pattern crossing the shifts in colors. I just used the thread closest in color to most of the canvas for that single stitch. So, the Double Woven Plait was always over 3 x 3 and Herringbone was always over 2 x 3. I’m not going to go into what stitches either stitch guide recommended except that one is full coverage and the other is very open.
The veins are done in outline/stem stitch with Splendor S801 Black in upper right corner, Gloriana Elizabethan Green 117 in upper and lower left corners, and Kreinik #8 Braid 002V.
Remember, this is the piece that other Main Line Stitchers Chapter members are stitching based on stitch guides from Fireside Stitchery and Amy Bunger. I, on the other hand, am selecting my own threads and stitches. Join us tomorrow night at Starbucks (218 Lancaster Ave) in Wayne, PA and see in person how we’re coming along on our canvases.
I got my letter from Kathy Rees about my ANG 2018 Seminar class, Designing Geometric Samplers! And, there were 3 fantastic colorways to select. I went with ‘Bright’ which has Tahiti Watercolour as a key thread. It’ll be a fun and exciting opportunity.
After seminar last year, I was so excited about registering for her class, I tried designing a geometric piece but put it aside after selecting way too many threads for my design. Now, because I am excited again about learning how to design from another teacher, I pulled out my magnetic quilt triangles and decided to play with them. I came up with a couple of patterns.
The first 2 are symmetrical and the other 2 are not. The first one has triangles, squares, hexagons, parallelograms, and corners which would allow me to use Sandra Arthur’s Shapes of Needlepoint books, Series I and III. The colors repeat in an interesting pattern. The second has a simpler pattern but has different colorways as the pattern moves outward. The stitch patterns wouldn’t be as varied as the first unless you used scotch patterns which can be endless. My least favorite is the third one. You can’t get a good one every time. And, the fourth moves color patterns into various quadrants of different sizes with a good variety of shapes. But, it doesn’t thrill me as a design.
This design was my first attempt at an all Scotch stitch design. But, I almost didn’t finish this design because of the reversed heart pattern in the corners. It was a tricky pattern that I needed to chart out for each corner because the hearts remain upright. I couldn’t rotate the canvas.
For the rest of the outer border, I used Scotch and Smyrna stitches.
The center flower used a Watercolours, Baby Breath. The skein is from the stash of a deceased member. It has a hand written dye lot but no color number assigned. So, it’s quite an old skein. I love the colors and was particularly careful to have the threads color movement match on each side. And, it goes with peach and teal/turquoise very nicely including Crystal Braid CR17, Vineyard Silk Classic C-079 & C-184, Trebizond TRA701, and Splendor S818 (I’m not sure what Kreinik threads I used). I charted the center using offset scotch stitches over 3, 4, 6, and 7 threads before stitching.
I put the piece away quite some time ago and just recently found it. So, I decided that my own design wouldn’t beat me! And, it didn’t. It’ll make a nice companion piece in our recently repainted bedroom.
If I were to do this again, I wouldn’t be so particular about the color movement in the center flower. And, I would use a Mosaic stitch on the sides instead of all Smyrna stitches just for variety.
Filed under: Come Design With Me by Orna Willis
All framed and ready to hang. I need more walls!
This is from the online class with Orna Willis, Come Design With Me where she explained how she designs a piece as she goes. Orna set up a private Facebook group where we could ask questions and share our progress. It was interesting to watch this design develop and have her explain her thought process. At the end, class members named the design, Come Dance With Me. The instructions are on sale at her website Adorn By Orna. Use your stash to make your own colorway.
Thanks again Orna for taking us on that journey. It was an excellent learning experience.
Metalforms Part 5 and the last had four areas to stitch. However, I added a fifth area which is near the upper left middle because it seemed too big to leave empty especially after remembering Linda stitched the Jagged Linking Block larger. By the time I thought about it, it was too late because the edge had compensating stitches. So, I added the small mosaics (over 2) above both the Triangular Scotch (over 3) and the Scotch Cross Corners (over 5). Hopefully, what I added blends in because I related the stitch to the surrounding stitches and made them smaller. I used Silk Lame Braid SL52.
This was challenging at times but that’s a good thing.
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Threads
One of the items in a past member’s stash that continues to provide some interesting programs includes “Fun With Fur” which explores some threads and their uses. I did the first 3 exercises to share with my ANG Main Line Chapter tomorrow. We are going to continue to explore different threads as an ongoing project throughout the year.
Since stitch samples like these are not very exciting, we have a heart that we’ll break into smaller sections to stitch on with 2 different threads showcased each month.
Stop by Starbucks at 218 Lancaster Ave at 7 PM for our August 13th meeting. Here all about our plans to celebrate our 35th Anniversary as an ANG Chapter.