Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Finding the Perfect Stitch

When I last showed off the Egyptian Catra design from Tapestry Fair, I was dithering about the perfect thread and stitch for the top of the lotus fan pillars.

When in doubt, pull threads!  So I visited my stash and found Flair, DMC perle cotton, Caron's Watercolours and Waterlilies, plus silk ribbon, all in approximately the same teal green as the top feather parts of the lotus fans.  Those with access to a shop will probably go through the same process, buying everything they think is the right color to test in stitches.

Then I tried slanting satin stitches in the Watercolours (I used one ply of the three from the strand of Watercolours) and stem stitches in the perle cotton.  Nope.  All I had in the perle was size 5 which was too thick.  The Watercolours also seemed a little too rough looking although I loved the color (068 "Mediterranean") so I mentally decided to try the silk Waterlilies in the same shade elsewhere in the design.  Ok, two of four down.


Flair Versus Silk Ribbon Test
Then I tried the slanting satin stitches using Flair (right side of the photo above) and Japanese ribbon stitch using the silk ribbon (left side of the photo).  The silk ribbon is perfect!  It matches my mental image of what the fan should look like so I ordered silk ribbon from Waste Knot since I only have a tiny amount on the card.

Sometimes you just have to test stitch to see what works and what doesn't.  Next time I'll reveal the finished lotus fan pillars and talk about the body of the cat.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 6, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

4 comments:

Peggi@Tapestry Fair said...

Perfect color & stitch - you nailed it, Jane.

NCPat said...

The ribbon is perfect! Sometimes trial and error is the best way!

Bobbi said...

Jane,
I love reading your blog, but my favorite articles are the ones where you show us your stitching and share your thought processes. It is a great teaching tool, I have learned so much from your stitching entries.

I had a thought as I was looking at the picture of your lotus fan: what would the Japanese Ribbon Stitch look like done in the Flair? I have always used Flair in a Satin stitch, but now am wondering. I may have to try it somewhere.
Again, thank you for sharing your stitching lessons. I have learned so much from you.

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

Thanks for the comments, ladies. Peggi, I am thrilled your are happy with what I'm doing with your design. Keep up the good work bringing more fun to stitchers everywhere!