Cat Topiary Garden's Little Bushes

dede Odgen's Cat Topiary Garden

Last Monday I hadn't finished the central dark green hedge that the topiary shaped like a cat sits upon.  I made it a priority to finish all the bits of the hedge visible through the white gate, then moved on to the smaller bushes that flank the cat topiary.  All three of these little bushes (the two behind the bird topped posts and the small one on the extreme right) I stitched in a light teal green thread (DMC cotton floss #992).  Using one ply, I returned to the Double Stitch that I used for the two big bushes in the rear just in front of the background.

Double Stitch

Here's Double Stitch again for those who've forgotten. I haven't stitched the second step of this SharonG stitch, just the long skinny cross stitches which are the blue ones in the example above.  I may go back and add the tiny cross stitches or I might use beads in their place, or I might just leave things as they are right now.  I think I'll wait until more of the front of the design is stitched to make up my mind.  Here is what the three little bushes look like all stitched up.  Note that the small bush on the right is done with the same stitch as the bush behind it, but because the little bush is done in a lighter color, it seems closer to the viewer than the larger spruce behind it.

Three Small Bushes

I have started working on the egg shaped topiary in the middle of the canvas.  I am using three plies of the DMC 992 at the top.  I'll mix in the darker teal color used for the big juniper bush on the left side of the design (dark spruce green Au Ver a Soie #1826) when I get down to the darker area of the egg. Right now I'm using two plies of 992 in my basketweave but will switch to one of 992 mixed with one of the Au Ver a Soie 1826, then switch to two of the Au Ver a Soie as the egg topiary gets darker and darker.

Once I finish the egg bush, I will only have the topiaries themselves and one large bush on the left to stitch.  I am still debating what stitch to use in these areas.  You'll have to wait until next Monday to see what I decided.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com