When I finish I canvas I try to summarize what I learned from it. Needlepoint for me is a stitching journey that explores an original design, adds some of me to it through my choices of stitches/threads/colors, allows me to polish my technical skills, and teaches me something new with each canvas I stitch. There's a reason Blog is called The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure!
It's like those man versus wild adventure shows except I generally don't have to eat odd things or run up against snakes and other things that bite. (Mosquitoes--shudder!)
More than one person remarked that they were impressed I managed to pack as much detail into Cape Cod Dogs as I did. I think this is more due to the fact that the canvas painter at Needlepoint of Back Bay translated Elizabeth Mumford's original painting so well than any skill I have. Here's the painting itself--
It couldn't have been easy to make this painting into a NP canvas but the only big thing that was left out was the ferry you see in the window of the original design. I imagine the boat was omitted because the NP artist couldn't make it look right. So the ferry has sailed in my version of the design! Guess the folks are waiting in the bar until it comes back, right? LOL
Once you have a NP canvas that has good detail painted in, you are faced with the issue of how to stitch it to not lose these delicate features. Many folks go the All Tent Stitch route. I am seeing more and more canvases exhibited at Woodlawn Plantation that are done entirely in tent stitches executed in a huge variety of threads (metallics, silk/wool blends, perle cotton, silk, etc.) all in one piece. This is perfectly valid. Some folks (including me) find basketweave soothing and deliberately choose to do many painted canvas projects in this manner. The tent stitch family is durable, easy to do (but hard to do well) and looks good when you are done.
I went another route. I decided to use fancy stitches where I could on Cape Cod Dogs. However, I ended up almost a majority of stitches from the tent stitch family, although it doesn't look like it since the fancy stuff catches the eye. I took a quick inventory last night.
The main dog is entirely in fancy stitches.
The main mermaid is 60 percent fancy stitches for her hair and tail and the rest tent for her face, bare back and arms. The small mermaid is the same mix of fancy/plain.
The sailor is tent stitches except for his hat and long ponytail. The small dog is 90 percent tent stitches. Only his ear and nose are not done in basketweave.
The floor, the top of the bar and the window are all specialty stitches. However, the wall under the window, the bar stools and the dark shadows under the bar are basketweave.
The shelves behind the bar and most of the bottles and glasses are tent stitched although I did often top stitch or backstitch on top of the basketweave and continental stitches I used.
The wall between the shelves and the window is in brick stitch. Most of the items hanging on the wall are tent stitch with back stitches on top, although there are a few long stitches mixed in.
The border's black background and inner red line are all basketweave and continental. The shell corners and the red margin around the outside are done in specialty stitches. The red metallic lettering is cross stitches, but only because I had done a full word before I realized I should have used two strands of my Hi-Lights instead of one. I could have stitched another tent stitch right on top of the finished word but I thought I'd try cross stitches instead to see if the little bump you get gave the lettering a slightly raised look. It did not. I should have done the words in all tent stitches, too, with two strands of Hi-Lights instead of one.
If I add this all up, I think 55 percent of the canvas area is covered with fancy stitches and 45 percent is in basketweave or continental stitch, which are in the tent stitch family. I would recommend anyone with a very detailed canvas like this see if that can use fancy stitches only in the largest areas where they add texture and realistic dimension and stick to good old tent stitches elsewhere as you know you can always get detail with tent stitches. The fancier stitches may or may not convey shading and detail as well.
But how to add detail and still use fancy stitches isn't what I learned from this canvas. Instead, I learned that there are all sorts of alternatives to the standard stitches I normally use in certain situations. I deliberately set out to find something other than my usual free form long and short stitch to use for the dogs. Knotted stitch was an accidental find for the main dog's coat that turned out well. I normally would not use tent stitches for the smaller dog but they were perfect in this situation as he is so small and is in the background where he shouldn't call attention to himself. Your comments when I had such trouble with the mermaids' faces gave me the idea of using split stitch for faces which I plan to implement rather soon. Using real shells in the corners or on the small mermaid's chest for a bra were other great alternatives that I didn't think of that were mentioned in the comments. Many thanks to everyone who adds something to a blog entry. You give me great ideas and feedback when I need it most!
The moral of this canvas for me is not how to mix tent and fancy stitches, it is to not fall into a rut. Always try to think of alternatives to your usual set of stitches. Sometimes the old favorites are the best, but sometimes they are not, and we'll all do well to remember that and test drive a variety of stitches before settling for the Same Old, Same Old.
Tomorrow I'll unveil Cape Cod Dogs. Thanks for coming over!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
6 comments:
You have hit on why I do all my stitching....so as not to fall in a rut....go beyond what it always comfortable.....try new fiber.....new stitches...new ideas!! Thanks for spurring us on!
I have to admit that I don't always seek adventure in my stitching. Somedays I stitch to escape, somedays I stitch for relaxation, somedays I stitch because the weather is awful and I can't do the outside chores.
But mostly I do stitch for the challenge. I know that's not the only (or even main) reason for many people but it's what motivates me the most.
That's why I like reading your blog - because you are making adventurous decisions on which stitches to use on your needlepaintings - not just tent. For example, the issue of the big dog's ear. (which turned out really well!)
(back again)
There's also the design issue of using fancy stitches, which you talk about above - and there's something close to my heart.
You remember my goldwork sampler - well, I'm learning pretty much ALL the stitches as I go along. And it's not really something I'd recommend now I'm half way through. I have some detached buttonhole to do, and I'm like "oh, thank the gods!" because I don't have to learn something new, and it's vagaries, and performance with difference threads, and affects I can get vs what I want to get. There is totally room for learning new stitches on a piece, but I think I've gone a bit overboard, (I didn't know any embroidery stitches except cross stitch when I started the sampler) and it's simply very ..... tiring. You list the different reasons for embroidering - coz you've got the urge, coz it's raining outside .....it's hard when you keep putting off learning spiral trellis stitch!! *grin*
You've really taught me a lot about what can be done with these canvases. (Tho I think I'll stick with my goldwork/elizabethan/stumpwork - I like to watch you working
Thanks, e-Rose. I'm glad you like the ear despite my struggles getting that far!
I didn't realize you started your goldwork sampler with no background beyond cross stitch. More power to you!
Perhaps you need a little project that is easy to occupy yourself while you have down times or are gathering the strength for that spiral trellis stitch (which is gorgeous when done although I've never attempted it myself).
Anyone who is curious about what e-Rose has been up to can check her blog here.
http://elmsleyrose.blogspot.com/
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