The February Canvas of the Month is a new Melissa Shirley canvas called Blue Butterfly Clutch #1363F. This design is 16 inches wide and 9 inches high on 18 count canvas. This design comes on 13 count canvas also, and is available as a smaller pillow design that doesn't have the elaborate side panels.
http://www.melissashirleydesigns.com/gallery/?index=3961&cat=70
Bonnie's Blue Butterfly Canvas
I am actually contemplating purchasing this piece and stitching it as a pillow. Melissa has the same butterfly in a square pillow shape, but I am drawn to the outside panels on the purse version, so I am thinking of adapting it to a pillow. Like a purse, though, a pillow has to have durable stitches and threads. At least they do in my house with 2 kids and 2 cats! So that means, most of my stitches are simple with no beads or anything that may catch or not wear well.
I am going to start with the butterfly since I want that to be the focal point. The body is done in horizontal satin stitches. Pad slightly first, then stitch with an overdyed cotton. Then go back over the top with darker cotton and put in single horizontal stitches to represent the divisions. Another thread the might work for the body, if you can find the colors is a chenille, again with the division stitched in with maybe a solid cotton to match or a small perle cotton. I think the texture of the chenille would be great! I though first about using very velvet for the texture, but I think it would be too heavy.
For the wings, I would use Splendor or a strandable silk mixed with a blending filament or Accentuate for some sparkle. Stitch in long and short making sure it’s on the short side since this is to be a pillow. Follow the directions of the wings. The divisions are a stem stitch with a strandable silk or maybe a couched silk perle. The dark at the top of the wings is basketweave in silk, stitch each side in the opposite direction. The brown in the middle (not the body) is a basketweave in silk with slightly less plies than the blue so it recedes. Lastly the antennae use a Kreinik cord and couch in place after you complete the background.
Now to the background behind the butterfly. My first thought was silk ribbon for the flowers a wider ribbon that would make the distinct petals, but I am concerned that would make the focus the flowers not the butterfly and I am not sure it would hold up on a pillow that well. I would tackle all the light blue background in an alternating continental with cotton floss. I am thinking cotton since it will give a different sheen than the silk on the butterfly. Or maybe so there is no blank canvas showing through (which you would have to add a liner fabric behind), a Parisian stitch or Hungarian for a nice vertical stitch. For the flowers, maybe a perle cotton for texture or just white floss stitched in a satin stitch. I might be tempted to try a thin silk ribbon and see what it looks like, the idea of silk flowers just won't go away! I would stitch the satin stitches in all the same direction, but break the stitches at each petal end so you ‘see’ distinct petals when you are done. The middles are either small eyelet or a simple Smyrna cross – still trying to keep these flowers behind the butterfly. Lastly the stems in a floss in either a stem stitch or tent.
The borders I would pad and then satin stitch at an angle to look like cording. Maybe a metallic or maybe a gold colored silk so not so bold.
The right and left panels would be done in something like Silk ‘ N Ivory or Burmilana. I am trying to find another texture that is different than the butterfly or its background. Another thought might be a twisted fiber. In order to get the shape of all of the designs, I would stick to simple basketweave for the whole thing.
The top and bottom border would be done in a similar fiber as to what is chosen for the side panels. On the lower panel, the flowers would be satin stitched like the ones on the middle background. The background is just basketweave. The lattice work, I would lay a strand across each line and then couch it down invisibly for the most part with a decorative couching stitch at the intersections. Or maybe just tent stitch them changing the directions to match the direction of the line so it appears as a line when stitched. On the top panel, the flowers are again satin stitch with French knots on a stock for the center. May find the French knots too prominent and just go with an eyelet type stitch that matches the painted shape. The stripes are done in horizontal satin stitches. You will probably need multiple columns of stitches for each stripe of blue so the stitches don't get too long.
That’s it! There are so many things you could do if you weren't concerned so much about wearablility and kids/pets. I could see beading the butterfly, silk ribbon for the flowers as just a start. It all depends on what you are planning on doing with the piece.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
No comments:
Post a Comment