Back to the Topiaries

dede Odgen's Cat Topiary Garden

Now that my deadline for finishing Smilin' Jack in time for the Baltimore trade show is met, I am back working on the topiary bushes on my dede Odgen piece.  Cat Topiary Garden has to be finished in time for my mother's birthday in September (Shhh!  Don't tell her!) so I am trying to get the big topiary bushes done quickly.

I'm working on the center back topiary, the one with the bird on top, using a variant of skip tent stitch in which I substitute cross stitches for the tent stitches one normally uses for skip tent.  My threads are four shades of DMC cotton floss, using two plies.  (If you are stitching the 13 count version of this piece, you may want to use three plies.)  I like the regular look that skip cross stitch gives me.  It resembles the close clipped look of a real topiary bush.

From darkest to lightest, I am using DMC 319, 987, 905 and 703.  Rummage in your stash and find four shades of green that work well together.  You don't have to use exactly the thread I did.  I think a thin wool would look very nice on the topiaries--particularly on the 13 count version of this design-- but I didn't have any thin enough in enough shades of green to use on my 18 count version.

In the photo I have used all but the lightest shade of green. I'm saving that for the top of the topiary.  I'm working the bird topiary with the canvas upside down to reach without touching areas I've already stitched.  I'm considering whether to sprinkle tiny French knots or beads (or both) along the top margins of the topiaries but I have decided to wait until all the bushes are done before I decide whether to use beads and French knots on areas.

I hope to finish the bird topiary and also the short cat topiary behind the gate this week.  Then I will work on the shorter fish and mouse topiary bushes next week.

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