Once I have decided what I want to emphasize on this painted canvas (which is basically the dog, his candy cane, and the snowflake top and toe of the stocking), it is time to work on what threads and stitches I want to use.
I like to stitch realistic canvases so I am in the habit of thinking about what things look like in real life and choosing threads and stitches that mimic what one actually sees.
There is also the rule that light colors come forward while dark things recede. I've found this doesn't always work, but perhaps what Melissa Shirley said in her guest blogger stint here will help us refine this rule:
Melissa Shirley said:
I’ll take the opportunity to say here one of the things I think about a lot when I’m stitching and when I see stitched work is how the stitching and thread selection creates a depth of field. I want to see what’s in front come forward and what’s in back recede and I try to use color and threads and stitches to achieve that. The few “rules” I try to keep in mind are:
Threads that come forward are shiny, lighter and warmer colors, and heavier in weight. Threads that recede are matte, cooler colors and thinner in weight.
With these rules in mind, I studied the stocking. We have the dog which I could stitch with warm browns and black in medium shades of brown with fuzzy threads like wools to make him come forward. The darker blue sky and the lighter blue ground he stands on will naturally recede because blue is a cooler color than the brown and black on the dog.
The red stocking toe and top are a warm red, and if I use a sparkling thread for the snowflakes, they will also be a little more prominent.
The candy cane done in red and white with a sparkling thread will also come forward. I could also pad it to make it even more prominent.
I will still need to deal with the stocking cap and the dog's collar but those are small areas I can approach as I work him. I may just reuse threads I used elsewhere for these areas.
This is a small Christmas stocking, so I need to remember that it must have full thread coverage to wear well and I'll need to choose threads that allow it to hold its own on a Christmas tree full of lights and shiny ornaments, all screaming for attention.
None of this has really helped me pick threads and textures, but it has narrowed things down. Remember, you don't need to plan everything out before you start stitching. You just need to think about how the piece will be used which effects how durable your threads have to be and how eye-catching, what you want to emphasize in the design, and what is less important.
Tomorrow I'll talk about choosing the first area to stitch and picking a thread and stitch for this area.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
