Background Abandoned

The Red Madonna is done! Boy, that didn't take long. These small pieces (they are 3 inches wish by 5 inches tall) are quick stitches, particularly on 14 count canvas and when you don't stitch a background at all.

Yes, after fiddling with the Maltese Stitch and trying to reduce the example I had to a size that worked on the background, I gave up. I never did come up with anything that looked good using that stitch. So I worked on the bottom corners and the top framework instead.

I took several photos and this is the best one. You can't really see the Kreinik gold and red striped thread I used well on the framework. I'll try a closeup that is heavily enhanced to show detail. Ok, here it is. Let me work from the top left corner out, explaining what is there, then I'll do the bottom corner, again working from the corner out.

I've talked about the outside border I added so we'll skip that, ok. The next thing you see is a red Toho bead (size 11/0) in the corner, followed by a cluster of 5-6 gold Mill Hill beads (size Petite). The next area is my red and gold mix Kreinik #203 couched down with red Kreinik #003 in #4 braid. (203 is called Flame and it is a mix of red and gold in one thread, not very attractive on the spool, but Oh Baby! it looks good stitched.) I laid a pair of stitches across the area and tied them with four stitches, two at the bottom and two at the top. Then you see the gold Kreinik done in the diagonal mosaic stitch. This is the area that I added three crosses on top of. They are all in the red and gold Kreinik mix. Then we return to another pair of couched red and gold Kreinik threads. The next area is interesting. It's just tent stitch but I used ribbon floss to do the tent stitches. I think ribbon floss, usually done in long stitches, makes great tent stitches if you can get over the fact that it twists and turns like crazy while you are trying to do the stitches. A laying tool of some sort is a must when it comes to tent stitches in ribbon floss! I like how the gold is shinier than the gold in the diagonal mosaic section but less shiny than the bright Fyrewerks gold in the halos. When it comes to mixing a lot of gold threads, if you can get the same color of gold but mix the textures, you get a lot of interest in the look of a piece. The last area is more red and gold Kreinik, also in tent stitches. If you look at the original unstitched canvas photo on the left side of this page, you'll see white pearls came with this piece and two were supposed to go in this area. Instead, I used two more red Toho beads. The white pearl in the corner also turned into a red bead. This is what happens when you hand a stitch guide to Jane--she runs wild! LOL

Before we look at the bottom corner, look at the two decorative areas right over Mary's head. I used my gold Kreinik to do a box turned on its corner edge and then my red and gold Kreinik to do a second box under the first. The gold box has a red bead in the middle and the red and gold box has a gold one in the center. These make a decorative pattern in the middle of the arch that the Red Madonna and Child stand under. The stitch I used has a name but I can't remember it and can't find it in a quick browse. Sorry!

Now the bottom corner. It is much simplier, just tent stitches in the red and gold Kreinik with another red bead in the corner next to the gold frame I added. The hardest part was deciding whether to make the two bottom corners match. They were not painted to be identical, in fact the top corners weren't either. Looking at the design, you'll see how there is much more open space to the left of Baby Jesus than there is to the right of Mary. That weighs the canvas to the right and focuses your eye on Baby Jesus on the left in my opinion. So there is more "stuff" on the right side so the corners are a bit less to make room. I finally shrugged and stitched the corners more or less as painted. After all, this is more realistic. Very few things in real life are symmetrical.

After all this, you can see why a plain background looked good to me. Sometimes you need a resting place for the eyes. I'll put gold lame behind the canvas to add a little more sparkle and to hide the finishing foam that'll be inside. I'm going to finish both pieces together, however, so I've put Red Madonna away and have started Blue Angel. You can see the plain canvas of Blue Angel on the left side of this page under the Current Project title.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
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