Dog Body

The candy cane dog has a body now, after much struggling.  I wanted to try using a different animal fur stitch than my usual interlocking Goblein or random long and short stitches.  So I pulled out my copies of the three Stitches for Effects books and rummaged through them.  Gosh, there are a TON of canvases suitable for dog beds or baskets or pillows or leashes!  But after a little searching (fur is the best way to find stitches for dogs in these books) I came up with something different--Horizontal Parisian (Stitches for Effects p. 35) or Parisian Strip (also knows as Parisian Row Variation, from More Stitches for Effect p. 54).  These two stitches are actually the same stitch--a straight stitch over two threads immediately followed by a straight stitch over four threads.  The shorter stitch is centered a thread below the top--or above the bottom depending on how you look at it--of the longer stitch. Once you do a short/long pair, then you repeat this endless across the row.  Short over two, then long over four threads.  The next row you put the short stitches under the long ones of the previous rows and then repeat the pairs.  The only difference between Horizontal Parisian and Parisian Strip is whether your pair of stitches are upright (Parisian Strip) or horizontal (Horizontal Parisian).  Mrs. Howren and Robertson say this is an easy stitch to compensate and it is perfect for small areas.

However, when I tried using Horizontal Parisian for Elmer's face and Parisian Strip for his body, it didn't look right. I think I didn't have enough space for the stitches to look good.  So I tried long tent stitches (which are just tent stitches over two threads instead of one)--too regular.  Then I went to Goblein--too regular.  Finally I gave up and used Interlocking Goblein which is one of my standby stitches.  It looks just the way I wanted Elmer to look and worked well with the black tip of his tail which was already stitched in packed stem stitches.

I used tan Impressions 1136 for the bulk of Elmer's fur, with four plies of Mandarin Floss M821 for the dark brown shadows and two plies of Cashmere H04 which is a dark brown with a green tinge for the very darkest areas I wanted in deepest shadow.  I'd already used the Impressions and the Mandarin Floss for Elmer's nose and to outline his eyes.

It did take several hours to try out stitches, reject them, rip them out and try something else, so Elmer's muzzle is unstitched.  I'm debating whether to use tent stitches there or continue with the Interlocking Goblein.  I'm also debating whether to use the same threads (gray Medici and white Burmilana) as his stocking cap or whether to use something else entirely.  I see more test stitching in my immediate future.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow