I got two comments this week from folks who admitted they don't stitch painted canvases because they are afraid they will make a mistake and ruin them.
In answer to these comments, above is Exhibit A, also known as South Seas Fiji from Leigh Designs.
I added the water in long random zig zag stitches using three colors of Accentuate (baby blue has no color number, medium blue #67 and navy blue 138). I also tent stitched the white beach and tree line back in the background using two plies of dark green Splendor silk #S907 and white Splendor S800.
I like how the white beach looks but did think about adding a few French knots to the green tree area to make it more tree-like. I finally decided against it since the palm tree's fronds cover some of this area. I don't want to take away from the palm tree which is the main element of the design, so no French knots for now. I may change my mind and add them later once the palm tree is stitched and I have a better idea of whether a dimensional element in the tree line will make this canvas look better or not. But if I had added the French knots and decided I didn't like them, I could have just pulled them out again. I might have had to rip out the green tent stitches, too but that's no big deal. I haven't stitched the palm tree fronds yet so I wouldn't disturb them and the sky isn't done either.
I'm testing a small Ming stitch in the sky using the same Thread Gatherer overdye that I used for the green areas on the right barkcloth side of the ornament. Don't know if I like it yet. I wanted something rounded like clouds but this may be too regular. I had to see how it looked with the palm tree to make up my mind. If I don't like it, it is very easy to simply rip out the single strand of silk.
I'm not sure about the water yet. The stitch looks good (much better in person as it sparkles like the ocean on a sunny day) but I wonder if I shouldn't have used two plies of the baby blue Accentuate. I may rip that out and use just one. I only used one ply of the medium aqua and one of the navy. Does the light blue water look too intense to you? I hoped to convey depth and sunlight by varying the amount of Accentuate (one strand versus two) but I don't know if I succeeded. I'll think about it today and perhaps I'll rip out tonight and perhaps I won't. It certainly is no big deal to stitch something on a painted canvas and change your mind.
Of course I do a lot of test stitching threads and stitches before I put them on the canvas and I also work from the back forwards usually so that I don't have to rip out the foreground if I change my mind about the background, but it is durn hard to ruin a painted canvas.
The one exception is congress cloth. If you stitch on congress cloth, you enlarge the very small holes. So if you rip out you have to be a bit careful to make sure the larger holes aren't obvious. I've known folks to just put an empty unthreaded needle through all the holes so that the ripped out ones don't look odd! The moral is if you are worried about ruining a painted canvas, just don't stitch one painted on congress cloth. Easy-peasy.
If I can do it, mess up, rip out and try again and still end up with a nice stitched design at the end, anyone can. This is not astrophysics where a mathematical error puts your calculations off a million miles.
Just be brave and try. You can always shout for help. Your Internet friends will be able to suggest all sorts of things, and--as a very smart woman and dynamite stitcher told me--the more you rip out, the better a stitcher you will be.
Promise.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
Many years ago when I learned to sew, Idid it by making a lot of things twice. The first time I did it wrong., The second time I did it right. Experience is a wonderful teacher and I learned well!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Lately I have been Queen of ripits! This is looking good, and I think the tree line should stay as the tents. JMHO.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input, Pat. Sometimes we get too close to what we are stitching to tell what is ok and what isn't.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the Queen. Well, maybe you can be Queen of Ripping Out today and I'll wear the crown tomorrow. On Saturday we'll have to pass the tiara to someone else, I bet.
That's just about the prettiest water I've seen ever! It's a lovely combination of canvas, stitches and color.
ReplyDeleteNancy
I hope so! I am tired of reverse stitching!!
ReplyDeleteThis is really looking good. The sand & water are perfect! You really got the perspective. I wonder if that stitch you are trying for the sky isn't too big? You don't want the sky to come forward! Maybe you could rescale it?
ReplyDeleteI think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
ReplyDeleteI am in the Happy Chair with a painted canvas! (OK. So. It has a stitch guide.)
But I have to start somewhere, right?
I can feel you encouraging me all the way from Chilly Hollow!
Woo Hoo!
Coni, anyone who can cope with a snarky little dog who wears a wig, makes sarcastic comments and pees on the drapes can cope with a painted canvas with their eyes closed.
ReplyDeleteI am a big advocate of cheating in any form, whether it is a stitch guide, using a sttich you saw someone else use, doing a project from a magazine, etc. It's like training wheels when you start stitching painted canvases--it gives you a bit of confidence before trying it on your own.
So just jump in. You are a smart woman. You can do this.
Liz, you may be right about the Ming stitch being a bit large. I like it, however. I will think about scale today before I work on the palm fronds. If I start them now, it'll be too late. Well, I need to do some rows of H-Q couching on Glittering Kimono so that'll give me time to consider. Thanks for the critique. One gets so close to a piece while stitching it that one looses perspective!
ReplyDeleteNancy L., thanks for the nice compliment about the water. It is beautifully painted, which always helps. Anyone can stitch a gorgeous water if the underlying paint job is this lovely.
ReplyDeleteThe little zigzags look even better in person. They sparkle like water but since the threads don't cover the paint, the sparkle is subdued.
Thanks for the encouragement. I will go back to my teacup, once I finish a few smaller projects around the house! Also, thanks for hosting the ANG Pet Ornament project. It made me feel good to support ANG in some small way.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to participate in the pet guardian angel set, Beth. It was great to have you and I felt good that we raised so much cash for ANG programs.
ReplyDelete