The Lee Kimono

My second volunteer is Erica, who has a small kimono canvas she has no idea how to start.

Erica, what size is your kimono and what count canvas is it on? Is Lee the designer, or someone else?

Eria says:
Overall dimensions are about 3 1/2" by 3 1/2" - it's tiny. I got no information to go with the canvas, but Lee is printed on the canvas and it has a number K1041 on it. From the looks of the mesh, I'm pretty sure it's 18-mesh. I can get out the measuring tape and count it out if necessary. :-)


It looks like 18 count to me.  I believe Lee does her smallest kimono patterns on 18 count, so that is probably what we have here.  No need to measure.


What attracted you to this piece?

I love Asian-inspired pieces and kimonos are something I have a real 'thing' for. I love the purple in this piece - and purple is one of my favourite colours. I also love the fall of flowers that cascade from the arm down to the opposite side - I just think it's beautiful. The touches of black that it has just seem to polish it off somehow too.


I also love the touches of black.  I recommend that you use black silk for this area to give a touch of elegance and quiet to the design.    If it were me, I'd use either tent stitches or elongated cross stitches for the black vertical lines that divide off the sleeves, then use straight and slanted satin stitches for the collar and the hem trim.  The gold lines can be either tent stitches or couched metallic or elongated cross stitches.  Note that when you use a vertical elongated cross stitch, you make it tall and then.  When you use a horizontal elongated cross stitch, you make it short and fat.  Make sense?


For the black areas that seem to border the blue areas, I think we have to wait and see before we decide what to use there.  The stitching used for the blue areas will determine what to do with the black margins.  I wish the photo was larger.  What do you think the blue areas and the black border that edges each of these areas represent?


Do you have threads for it already or things you want to use in your stash?

I have not purchased specific threads for this piece as I wasn't sure when I'd ever get around to stitching it. And too, I wasn't sure just *how* I was going to stitch it. It deserves better than basketweave but I'm at a bit of a loss as to what else to do with it.


Not to worry.  We'll come up with something.


I'd like to try and use threads from my stash if I can. I have the obligatory set of DMC, but I also have a large selection of Dinky-Dyes silk, Gentle Arts Sample Threads, Weeks Dye Works, Vikki Clayton Silks and some other random odds and odds (there's a variety of Rainbow Gallery stuff floating about as well). I don't object to ordering or tripping to the needlepoint LNS to search out anything either. I realize that some of my threads won't be heavy enough for a needlepoint canvas and I may end up working with multiple plies and laying my stitches, but as someone who does counted canvas work, it doesn't phase me.


We'll use flosses mostly to use up threads from your stash, then.  Do you have a lot of metallics in your stash, by the way?  And if you do, what sizes?



Any threads or stitches you hate/love?

Nope. I'll play with anything. If I've got a good diagram, I can stitch from it. I'll try any stitch once. Compensating doesn't scare me either.


Brave girl!


Thanks for volunteering.

Thanks for offering! I'm looking forward to this experience as this is something I really want to try. A little hand-holding will get me through! :-)  This will be fun! I'd better dig out a set of stretcher bars!


Looking at the design, I think the rose red area should be done in something with a diagonal flow to it.  I'd use either diagonal mosaic or diagonal cashmere, depending on just how much space you have in the smallest part of the rose red area.


http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2000/00-07.php


http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2000/00-08.php

I think I would tent stitch the white centers of the flowers, then work the petals in long and short stitch.  I might add black and green beads on top of the white area to spark it up a bit.  If you want to add beads, don't tent stitch the intersections where the beads will go.  That way they sink a bit into the tent stitches and are held steadier.  You could use French knots instead of beads but I think I'd like beads for this piece.  They add sparkle that French knots don't unless you use a metallic thread to make the French knots.


Why don't you think about all this and then email me your reactions and we'll go on from there?

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