Now that I've got my tulle stretched across my needlepoint canvas and have started stitching right through it, I thought I should mention some of the pluses and minuses of using tulle this way. First of all, the aqua tulle I choose does indeed change the background stitch and make it less prominent. It also alters the colors of the painted canvas slightly. I find I need good light to stitch through it as it does make it a little harder to see the threads and holes of the underlying needlepoint canvas. And of course ripping out is a little harder since you don't want to cut the tulle.'
Naturally I never make mistakes! (Please keep the eye rolling and laughter down, ok? You'll hurt my feelings.)
But not to worry if all this is way too daunting for you. Instead of my background stitch, forget about the tulle and use skip tent instead. Your canvas will be different than mine but it'll look nice. Here's a good diagram of skip tent. Use one or two plies, depending on the look you want and whether you are stitching the 18 count or the 13/14 count version of cat topiary garden.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2010/06/one-of-my-favorite-stitches.html
This is the Chilly Hollow Needlepoint ADVENTURE, so I am being adventuresome. If you think the experiment doesn't work or you don't want to spend the time and money on tulle, don't. If you start and cut the tulle when ripping out, it is easy to take out the basting stitches and remove the tulle. If you haven't stitched too much through the tulle, it will be easy to remove that stitched section, pull out the basting stitches and remove the tulle layer.
But I am going to see this through. I needlepoint to have fun and for me, trying new things is great fun. Besides, I think we all want to know just how the experiment will turn out. Will Jane have a wonderful needlepoint wall hanging for her mother's apartment door? Will tulle teach her new swear words? What is the optimum use for tulle on needlepoint? Stay tuned....
I've gotten the first spruce tree half restitched. Once I finish that I am going to work on the other big spruce on the right so I have photos and a stitch diagram to show you around Monday of next week.
UPDATE: Pat asked in the comments if tulle lays flat on the canvas well or if it slides around even though it is basted. On Red Geisha (which has an 8x8 design area) it did not but on the cat topiary garden (which is a bit more than 11x13 design area) it puckers a bit in the middle. The way to get around that is to baste it down in the middle and remove those basting stitches when you get to that area to stitch it. I may do that but I haven't yet.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
4 comments:
Hi Jane--
It's interesting following this piece. I don't think I'm grasping the point of the tulle, though. I know you wanted to put it over the background to make the trees recess because you weren't happy with how the stitching made them come forward, and that makes sense. But I don't understand why you are putting tulle over the whole thing rather than just over the background. Is it just because it's hard to trim the tulle to size and you'll just stitch over it so you can't see it, or is it serving another purpose?
Now that I'm thinking about it, I can see using it on a mountain scene to create that haze that appears in the morning and on hot afternoons. Dang! I DO NOT need another project!
Carol S.
Carol, it is easier to cover the entire piece with tulle than covering just the top half. But of course I am experimenting, too. Until I have done this a few times I don't know how best to do it. I hope someone covers just the background section and lets us know how it works out. I can see problems coming to the edge and having to carefully cover the bottom part as you stitch each tree. But we'll see how the experiment works out.
Oh how clever an idea to just do part of the background, Carol.....something to think about. I was wondering if it couldn't be pulled to the back and tacked there if it were to be put just over trees or water for example......
Pat, I think tulle can be laid over just part of a canvas but that has more problems with securing the material and I didn't want to tackle them without more experience in using it.
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