Top Secret: Introducing The Imari

Leigh Designs has announced their new series for the May TNNA show--the Imari!  You can read about them on the Leigh website, then click to see them all. 
http://www.leighdesigns.com

Basically, they are all 10 inches square on 18 count and based on traditional Imari porcelain patterns.  Each is a circle within a square, which allows for corners where you might use fancy stitches, place your initials or just work some restful basketweave in your favorite thread.  You can also just frame the circle alone and cover the corners with your mat or fabric for a pillow.

Above is my current favorite, the Timeless Tiger.  I love them all and I am stitching one.  No, I'm not telling you which one yet, but I'l drop a big hint tomorrow.

Those with sharp eyes will have seen two of the Imari framed at the Leigh table during last night's opening, courtesy of Amy Bunger who took this photo and posted it on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=780691411941838&set=a.780691068608539.1073741834.189965167681135&type=3&theater

Those with really sharp eyes will have noticed the three Russian Santas standing around.  My Blue Russian is on the right and Sandy Arthur's two Russian Santas are on the left.  West Coast Finishing made them up into standup figures using white fabric on the backs and similar bi-colored trims around their edges.  You can't tell but there is sparkly fabric under each canvas to add more shine.  When it comes to Christmas, you can't have too much shine or your stitching won't hold its own with all those lights.  Your shop can order the canvases and the guides for these handsome fellows when the trade show opens today.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 3, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Patty's Blue Russian (and More)

Patty's Blue Russian Done!

This morning I have another wonderful finished Blue Russian to share, this time from Patty.   Her Blue Russian is special to me because Patty has to mail order her threads and she waited patiently while I got far enough in stitching my model so that she would only have to order threads once.  I appreciated that!   Patty's Russian Santa varies a little bit from mine in that his blue eyes were made from one cross stitch over one with a very light blue #4 Kreinik metallic and she used Brian’s Steppe Stitch to create the snow under his feet.  This gives him both a solid grounding and an intense expression.  He's now on the way to the finisher while Patty puts the Forever Green Russian Santa on her Evertites and starts thinking stitches and threads.

In other Russian Santa news, since the May 2014 issue of ANG's Needle Pointers magazine is in the mail, I can reveal that I wrote an article about choosing threads and stitches for painted canvases in this issue, using my Blue Russian as the example when I explained how I go about picking just the right stitch or thread.  I've already been asked if I will post the article here.  I think ANG won't allow that--although I will ask--since they want people to join the organization, but there is an article on how to stitch a painted canvas written by me several years back on their website and freely available already.  If you read through my public blog-stitching of Blue Russian here and read this, you will have a lot of information about how to tackle a painted canvas.
http://www.needlepoint.org/FAQ/phobia.php

Remember, you can always revisit my blog-stitching of Blue Russian by clicking on the tab above.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 17, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Creating Ermine Out of Thin Air Part Two

Now that I knew that I was going to use the same two threads (Wisper and Petite Silk Lame Braid) to create the ermine collar and cloak trim on Blue Russian, it was time to choose stitches.  The choice was easy really, since I wanted to create the flow of those Neiman Marcus fox collars I showed you last week.
http://tinyurl.com/qahqm7w

The only way to create this look is to use stem stitches plus a little something extra.

Using the same white or gray Wisper (depending on the paint color) mixed with a strand of the white glow-in-the-dark Petite Silk Lame Braid, stem stitch the ermine collar, starting in the middle and working out toward each side. The stem stitches toward the middle of the collar will be longer, perhaps over 4-6 threads, but become shorter in length (perhaps over 2-3 threads) as you get to the edges of the collar. I started with the gray stitches (one strand gray Wisper with one strand of the white Petite Silk Lame Braid) and did the main gray lines first, then filled in later with white Wisper and Petite Silk Lame Braid.  Make the stem stitches bend to match the painted areas by positioning the needle on one side of the threads or the other. See photos to see what I mean.  Note that I didn't fill the middle of the collar with stem stitches.  There is a bare spot on both sides of the collar.

Position of Needle For Each Side of Collar

As you stitch, think about petting a dog or cat or perhaps a fur coat.  The stem stitches will flow in the same way you would pet fur to smooth it down. Leave the middle section of the collar bare (see photo below) or almost bare for now.  In the photos above, you will see how the needle is placed differently in relationship to the thread as the stem stitches are done.  This bends the thread in the direction you want it to go as you create curves with your stem stitches.   (Technically this positioning makes my stem stitches really outline stitches since the thread is above the needle in both cases, but we won't worry about that now.)

Collars Done Except for Centers

When you finish the collar (except for filling in the middle of the collar), work the edge of the robe, again matching the painted area. I found it easiest to work the gray areas first, then fill in with the white (one strand white Wisper paired with one strand of the white Petite Silk Lame Braid). Again, think about smoothing real fur. This isn’t a quick process but it is not difficult.. It may help you to see the general way I laid my stitches in the photos. Once you completely fill the ermine trim around the edges of the cloak with stem stitches, that area will be finished. The collar has another step to go.

The Ermine Cloak Trim is Finished

If stem stitching fur drives you nuts, don’t worry. You can replace stem stitches with Colonial knots using the same threads. Colonial knots are slighter larger than the French knots used on the wrist fur so it will look properly in scale. I’d rather you enjoy stitching your Santa than go nuts trying to replicate what I have done.

Now let's finish the ermine collar.

Smooth the stem stitches on the collar slightly with your finger or the eye of your needle to help you identify bare spots you need to fill in around the edges.  Do that first.  Leave the middle sections relatively bare still.

Step Two on the collar is really easy but it does require some patience. We are going to work the side of the collar next to Santa’s face first. The collar nearest the staff will be done last.

First, add a few stem stitches to the bare area in the middle of your ermine collar. Don’t pack the stem stitches in as tightly as you did the rest of the collar and for the cloak trim. You are just putting in a few background stitches before stitching the main event on top of them.  Use the white Petite Silk Lame Braid paired with either white or gray Wisper, depending on what color you want to predominate.

Once you have the collar center lightly stitched, it is time to add a few wigmaker’s knots to the middle of each side of the collar. You will start at the bottom edge and work your way toward Santa’s face, one stitch at a time. This photo shows the order in which I added wigmaker’s knots to the collar next to Santa’s face.  The arrows show the flow of the stitch with the dangling ends closest to the arrow.

Work Order for Each Collar Side

The wigmaker’s knot is really easy. It is how I was taught ages ago to make fringe for dollhouse rugs. I will describe it step-by-step in photographs below but you might like to see how Needle Works diagrams this stitch on their blog.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2013/09/share-a-stitch-sunday-september-22.html

First, cut a four inch length of white Wisper and a four inch length of white Petite Silk Lame Braid. Because these threads are wrapped around cards, the lengths may have kinks in them. It is important to get those out before doing the wigmaker’s knots, so dampen your Wisper. I usually get a white paper towel damp, then pull my threads across the surface of the wet towel. Set the threads aside to dry. This will remove the kinks in the Wisper but the kinks in the Petite Silk Lame Braid are very difficult to remove so make sure they are located in the middle and ends of your length of thread where they will be hidden or trimmed off.

You will be adding 3-5 wigmaker’s knots to Santa’s ermine collar, so if you like, you can cut 3-5 four inch long sections of each thread and dampen them all at the same time. Then when they are all dry and straight, you can start adding your wigmaker’s knots.

Pick up a length of Wisper and one of Petite silk Lame Braid and double them so the strand is now two inches long. Choose either gray or white Wisper depending on what color you want to predominate. Poke the four cut ends into the eye of your needle. I used a size 20 needle. The size doesn’t really matter but you do want a needle with an eye large enough to get all four ends through the needle eye without too much trouble.

Wigmaker's Knot One

The loop will be at the bottom where a knot normally is.

You will start at the bottom edge of the collar and work your way up toward Santa’s face, one wigmaker’s knot stitch at a time. The wigmaker’s knots go in the middle of the collar. Look at the black and white photo showing the work order of the wigmaker’s knots again.  Remember, we are going to work the side of the collar next to Santa’s face first. The collar nearest the staff will be done last.

Wigmaker's Knot Two

Plunge your needle down through the canvas.  Don’t pull the thread all the way through. Keep the loop on top, holding the loop with your finger if necessary. Come back up again from the back in a hole next to the hole where you went down and take your needle through the loop.

Wigmaker's Knot Three

Now pull the knot you created snug against the collar.

Wigmaker's Knot Four

This is the first wigmaker’s knot. Now carefully spread the four loose ends of the knot apart and decide where you want each to lay.

Wigmaker's Knot Five

Cut a length of white Wisper and thread it up in a smaller needle. I used a size 26 but you can pick whatever size you prefer that is small enough to slide through the stem stitches layer under the wigmaker’s knot. This thread will couch each of the four long lengths of your wigmaker’s knot into position so they won’t flop around. Come up in a hole and then go down in the same hole if possible to couch each loose end. Do this for all four ends of the wigmaker’s knot, then park the needle with the couching Wisper. You will need it again for the next wigmaker’s knot. Do not pull too tightly on your couching thread or position it too close to the end of the length where you plan to trim the wigmaker’s knot or it will curl up away from the surface of the canvas.

Wigmaker's Knot Six

I trimmed each knot to the length I wanted before adding the next wigmaker’s knot since I would be moving higher up on the collar to overlap the previous knot. Better to get everything done to one wigmaker’s knot before you move up to the next. Once you are happy with the left side of the collar (the one nearest Santa’s face), stroke the couched and trimmed wigmaker’s knots carefully with your finger, checking to make sure you don’t have a bare spot or a loose end.  I ended up using four wigmaker's knots but you may only need three or want five.  This is a personal choice.

Now it is time to work the side of the collar next to the staff. You will not be able to insert as many wigmaker’s knots on the staff side of the collar or the staff will disappear.  Instead, use one wigmaker’s knot, created from two lengths of Wisper instead of one strand of Wisper and one strand of Petite Silk Lame Braid.

Look at the black and white work order and knot placement photo again.  I came up at A to place my knot, then took all four loose ends down at B and secured them loosely on the back side instead of couching them. This gives you the feathery look of the other side of the collar without the danger of covering up the silver staff. Smooth the collar with your finger again, looking for missed spots.

The wigmaker’s knots are a subtle touch, so you may omit them if you just want to use stem stitches, but I feel they really add to the look of the ermine collar.  I did not use them on the edges of the cloak, just the collar.

The next posting about Blue Russian will show the finished background (I hope) and sum up the project and what I learned from it.

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 3, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Creating Ermine Out of Thin Air

The last step in bringing my Northern Light Santa to life is to give him ermine trim on his cloak.   From the first I know what I wanted the collar and cloak edging fur trim to look like.  I wanted something that looked like this--
http://tinyurl.com/qahqm7w

That immediately ruled out making the cloak trim from French knots or their larger scale brother-Colonial knots.  Not that your Russian Santa can't have wonderful fur made this way--check out THIS Melissa Shirley beauty with Colonial knot fur trim made from a variety of threads, stitched by Becki Gebhardt for a class at Enriched Stitch.  Gorgeous!
http://astheneedleturns.com/woodland-santa/

It's just not what I want. It doesn't look like my Neiman Marcus example.  How about turkey work or some of its variants?  Santa's gray fur hat in the Brenda Stofft Santa here is turkey work in two threads. It's a little too choppy and thick, not floating.
http://astheneedleturns.com/brenda-stofft-wilderness-santa/

Maybe a smoother turkey work, like Suzanne's Santa?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOk7rH2mVlk/UH7ro3jKvoI/AAAAAAAAAM8/lbsxOuYMpJ8/s1600/IMG_0546.jpg

No, too dense.  It will take over the piece.  But switching threads to Caron's Snow would work.  Like the ball on Santa's stocking cap from the magic fingers of Libby Sturdy--
http://www.caron-net.com/jul99files/jul99def.html

No, not turkey work.  I can hear the gasps of fear all the way in the middle of nowhere!  I can't send Blog readers into cardiac arrest.  Turkey work is not quite right, anyway.  And Caron's Snow is too thick a thread for this delicate area.

There is Velvet stitch (second Santa from top in the link below).  No, this is very pretty but a bit too much for such a small area as on my Blue Russian.  His ermine collar is 10-12 threads wide at the widest point.  It looks more like what I want, however.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-gift-of-giving-needlepoint.html

I could use satin stitch with a sparkly thread like Arctic Rays like Vicky did.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/santa-baby-well-hes-finished/

To copy what she did I would need two colors, white and gray.  Arctic Rays does have two grays as well as white, plus folks whose shops don't carry Arctic Rays might be able to pick up ThreadworX's Legacy Collection thread instead (second link).
http://www.rainbowgallery.com/detail.cfm?ID=693

http://threadworx.com/product.php?catid=5&catName=The%20Legacy%20Collection%20-%2010%20yards&pg_num=1

But then I had to face the question, what will either of these threads look like next to the Wisper and Petite Silk Lame Braid I have used for Santa's wrist trim, beard and eyebrows?  I did have some white Legacy Collection in my stash so I laid it on my canvas next to Santa's head. It looked ok but the whites were slightly different and the fuzzy synthetic thread was a little too over powering.  Sigh.  Back to the drawing board.

I still didn't have the right stitch.  How about rya stitch, another turkey work variation? That'll work but I am not one hundred percent pleased with it.  After all, folks are going to have to learn a new stitch and you still have the problem of knowing what thread to use that won't overwhelm and hide Santa's face and that will look good with the threads already chosen.
http://www.needlesandthreadsofruxton.com/assets/stitches/Rya.pdf

The more I thought about this, the more I decided to stick with the same threads I've already been using--a white and gray Wisper combined with the glow-in-the-dark Petite Silk Lame Braid.  But what stitch?  It needs to be easy but elegant and maybe something with a twist....

Stay tuned until tomorrow to see how I figured this out!  I am going to postpone Part Two of Ermine Trim until next Monday due to the snowfall. I will be too busy today and tomorrow to write the follow up article, so let's put it off a week.  Thanks!

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.
 
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Adding a Border with Bling

Leigh Designs' Northern Light Santa To Date

I decided that I wanted something for Santa to stand on, so I created an optional border under his feet. It is up to you whether you want to add this, depending on how you plan to finish your Russian Santa.

Mine is made up of a variant of Sheena James’ Snowflake Stitch.  You can see the original stitch on Sheena's blog.  I am reusing a part of the stitch with her permission.
http://www.sheenasstitches.com/band-one-started/

This is what my Sheena's Snowflake looks like.

Sheena’s Snowflake is 12 threads high and wide. The blue snowflakes are stitched with the Kreinik navy #018 size 8 fine braid. Count down four empty threads below the bottom of Santa’s robe and one thread from the edge and put in two snowflakes, one on each side. Now count over six threads and start the next snowflake in toward the center. Do this on both sides so you have four snowflakes total. Now count all the empty threads remaining in the center and divide by two so you know where to center the fifth snowflake. Note that you may have an odd number of threads and will have one more empty thread on one side of the central snowflake in the series of five snowflakes. That won’t matter.

Step One:  Blue Snowflakes

Here is a photo of the snowflakes I stitched.

The next step is to add the icicles at the bottom of the border using one of the Kreinik silver metallics already used in this project. I used the Kreinik size 4 very fine braid in #001HL but it might be better to use the size 8 fine braid #001L holographic silver as the size 4 doesn’t cover well. I ended up going over my stitches twice to cover with the size 4 but I didn’t want the heavy shimmer of the holographic silver so I stuck with the 001LH  Choose whichever thread you prefer or use 001HL in size 8 or even larger size 16 if you happen to have it in your stash.

Step Two:  Silver Icicles

The icicles are done in straight and slanting stitches. I positioned the icicle bottoms five threads from the bottom of the snowflake stitches. Because everyone is likely to have a slightly different width of their border, I can’t tell you exactly how many stitches of each size you will need or where to put them exactly. The best I can do is to is to tell you to place the longest stitches that make up the slanting triangle in the middle between two blue snowflakes. Then position the longer straight stitches under the middle of the snowflakes. Then fill in with the shorter straight stitches, putting 1, 2 or 3 of them between each longer straight stitch. Icicles don’t form regularly so this will look ok, but if this drives you nuts, then repeat the top silver edge described below when I talk about the background stitch for the border at the bottom instead of creating silver icicles.  Here are the icicles diagrammed with a Sheena Snowflake.

The next step is to position sequins on either side of the central blue snowflake. I used square silver sequins turned to make a diamond shape, attached with straight stitches done in silver Accentuate coming up from the center hole to the middle of each edge. Once the sequins are firmly attached, use the Accentuate to attach a light blue Swarovski bicone crystal in the middle of the sequin. Note that you can substitute any combination of sequins or beads you like or have handy here. Cartwright’s carries snowflake sequins of various sizes and colors, for example.
http://www.ccartwright.com

Step Three:  Add Sequins and Bicones

Now you have to add the background stitches behind the icicles, snowflakes and sequins. I used Upright Crosses with two plies of the darker blue Splendor #S914 but you may wish to use three plies for better coverage if your stitch tension is tighter than mine. For the very first row, the one directly under Santa’s feet, do not use the blue silk—use your Kreinik 4 very fine braid in #001HL for just one row of Upright Crosses, then change to the blue silk to do all the rest of the background rows. Having one row of silver divides the border from the rest of the design.  Here is Upright Crosses diagrammed.

Upright Crosses Background

Note on the diagram I occasionally I skipped an Upright Cross and left that space empty.  The diagram has a red bead and red thread lines added where an Upright Cross should be.  Use the photo of the finished border to position your empty spots or scatter them as you prefer.  The blue diamond on the side of the diagram is supposed to be a sequin, attached with thread and held down with a Swarovski blue bicone.

I used tent stitches and reverse tent stitches between the interior areas of the Kreinik snowflakes. You may be able to put a full Upright Cross between the arms but mostly you will need to compensate so I just went with tent stitches, carefully moving the Krenik aside to slide my needle full of silk into position when necessary.

Steps 4-6:  Upright Crosses, Beads and Backstitches

Once the Upright Crosses are done, stitch four straight lines to make a diamond shaped box in the spaces where you omitted an Upright Cross, using a strand of the glow-in-the-dark Petite Treasure Braid PB300 (not the Petite Silk Lame Braid). In the diagram for Upright Crosses you will see the box shown in red lines.  You may use the regular white instead of glow-in-the-dark thread if you prefer. When the boxes are all done, fill each center with one of the Clear Crystal Aurora Borealis beads also used in the background. I attached my beads using the Petite Treasure Braid PB300 but you may have to use a doubled ply of white cotton floss if your beads have central holes too small for the Petite Treasure Braid to fit.  In the diagram for Upright Crosses, the red dot is the bead in the center of a box.

The final step is to use the Kreinik size 4 very fine braid in #001HL to back stitch across the top of the silver row of Upright Crosses to further separate the border from the rest of the design. I made each back stitch the same length, over four threads, but you can make yours longer or shorter to fit across the length of your border.  If you ended up using another silver thread for the icicles, use the same thread for the single row of Upright Crosses in the background and the backstitches.

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.  I'm going to work some on the background, which I have sadly neglected, and then start to tackle the last section of this canvas--Blue Russia's ermine trim.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright February 23,  2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Susan's Blue Russian

Susan's Blue Russian

Susan M. very kindly allowed me to post a progress photo of her Northern Light Santa.  She's finished her background's first step (she's WAY ahead of me there!) and stitched Santa's staff, robe and fur cuffs, his diadem and hat, and beard with mustache.  I love how she is customizing her Russian Santa to suit herself.  Her beard is much more realistic than my stylized one.  She has also added snow under his feet and omitted the gray shading on his fur cuff.  I love the way the snow is shaped!  She used the same glow-in-the-dark white Petite Silk Lame Braid I used and thinks the effect in the dark is very cool!

Thanks for allowing me to show this off, Susan.  It is lot of fun to see all the different Russian Santas as they are being worked.  Each has the distinct personality of its creator being added with every stitch.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Antique Metal Mesh Purse Inspiration

The Snowflake Robe Is Done

Morning all!  Welcome back to the Blue Russian blog-stitch!  I should mention I've added new threads to the Materials List. They are in bold blue so they will jump out at you.  Remember, I reorganized the supplies list by manufacturer (roughly) to make it easier for you to go shopping, so do check the list carefully to make sure you didn't overlook something.

Keep working the background if you haven't finished it.  I need to order a second card of the SP17 Petite Silk Lame Braid.  Once I have that I will finish step one of Staggered Crosses and then finish the beading in step two.  It all takes a while but is nice uncomplicated stitching once you get in the rhythm of it all.   (Hello, Olympics!)

I had originally intended to work on the ermine trim on Santa's outer robe this week, but I decided that the front of his inner robe needed to be stitched first, otherwise the fur trim was going to constantly get in the way.  So today's lesson is all about the blue snowflake robe Northern Light Santa wears.

I thought a blackwork pattern, particularly one of Ann Strite-Kurz's lovely designs, would be perfect but I decided in the end that I would stick to the design as painted and try to recreate the look of an antique mesh purse.  Are you familiar with these?  The metal interlocking mesh looks like chain mail painted with a design.  Both of my mother's older sisters had purses like these.  They were all the rage in the 1920s.  They are beautiful to handle.  The mesh flows like liquid metal fabric but has a silver glint to the painted design.  Here is a selection of metal mesh purses to give you an idea of my inspiration.
http://www.pinterest.com/larynh/mesh-purses/

To recreate this look for Santa's robe, you need to use a modified Or Nue' technique.  Classic Or Nue' uses colored silks to couch gold metal threads, with the silks creating the pattern on top of the gold.  Check out what Anna Scott (former editor of Inspirations magazine) is creating in Or Nue' on her blog--this is what Medieval embroiderers did on ecclesiastical garments.  Note that the silks are added in irregular areas to make the pattern.
http://annascottembroidery.blogspot.com/2014/02/queen-bee-takes-flight.html

What I am doing is a bit more like Burden stitch as the couching pattern is regular.  I will use a brick stitch-like couching stitch over a silver Kreinik base.  Here is the basic stitch--

The brick stitches that couch down the underlying long stitches are indicated in the blue and black straight lines.  You can create a pattern by changing the color of the tie down threads and that's what we will do.

As you can see, each channel of the needlepoint canvas has a line of metallic thread (the silver holographic Kreinik #001L in size 8 fine braid) across it (the red arrows in the chart).  The stitch is worked one row at a time.  Lay down the silver in a row between two canvas threads, then couch it in place using a "brick stitch over two" pattern with either two plies of the Splendor lighter blue S860 or the Splendor darker blue S914 or one strand of the glow-in-the-dark white Petite Treasure Braid PB300* or one strand of the Kreinik 001L.  Note that you will need to slide the needle creating the brick stitches under the silver thread of the previous row.  (If you don't have a good color copy of your Santa to use as a reference already, make a copy before you start on the snowflake robe.)

*You can substitute regular white Petite Treasure Braid PB10 for the glow-in-the-dark version.  Note that I did NOT use the white Petite Silk Lame Braid because it is a little too fat to couch the silver Kreinik with. All my couching threads need to be roughly the same diameter.

The secret for a nice smooth look is to work one row completely before starting the next.  Lay down the base line of silver, making sure it isn't twisted or too loose, then work from one side of the robe to the other, changing colors as you go to match the underlying paint job.  Use your color copy of the canvas to help tell where the colors change if necessary.  Manage all those needles and threads, keeping them well out of the way of each other so you don't tangle things on the back. (I used lots of magnets to park my needles to keep them out of the way.)   I worked from the bottom up but you can work from the top down if you prefer.  When you finish, go back to the first row and do small compensating straight vertical stitches to create a smooth edge.  Here is a photo of the robe underway, so you can see the sparkle this technique creates.  It is even more prominent in person but cameras are blind to bling.

The Or Nue' Snowflake Robe Under Construction

With the Olympics in Russia on television this week, this is a good area to stitch since it is not complicated.  Just keep the various threads you aren't currently using out of each other's way until you need them again so you don't tangle them on the back side.  I will post in two weeks on the next area since the Or Nue' technique takes a while and most of us still have background to work on as well.

Before I forget, Vicky DeAngelis is promising to blog-stitch another Russian Santa.  She has chosen the Holly Hills Santa.  Isn't it fun to see all the different versions of Leigh's little Santas?
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/snow-snow-go-away/

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Fur Cuffs

Wrist Fur Cuffs

Welcome back to the next step in working the Northern Light Santa!  It is time to start on the fur trim.  I did the wrist fur first.   The trim around both wrists is done in small French knots (one wrap) mixing a strand of the white Petite Silk Lame Braid with either white or gray Wisper, depending on what shade the fur is in that area.  Use as small a needle as possible to help keep the French knots small. I used a size 22 needle.  I came up in one hole and went over a thread into a neighboring hole to help secure the French knots.

Before you stitch the mitten holding the staff, do tent stitches between the thumb and the rest of the mitten. Then work your French knots around the wrist from the mitten working toward the outer edge. Keep the French knots away from the thumb area so you don’t overwhelm it. In other words, don’t stitch a French knot over the canvas thread nearest the mitten. Once you finish the French knots on both wrists, check the staff and fur wrist trim to see what background stitches you need to add to this area. You may find you need a few more than you originally thought.   If you look in the photo above, you can see gray to the right of the staff just below the fur cuff.  I will probably stitch that in the blue outer robe colors instead of covering it with background stitches.

Also note that the mitten holding the lantern has some fur area paint showing under the mitten between the lantern handle under the fingers.  I haven't stitched that spot yet as I was waiting to see how the front of the robe turned out.  I thought it possible I would just use the robe stitches there and cover the fur trim paint, but I decided that these need to be stitched in French knots.  It's easy to overlook this area, so I just wanted to point out it is there.  Remember, I am making this up as we all stitch away, so I do change my mind about areas or have to wait and see before I can tell you what I did.  Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but it always takes a little time to know how things will turn out!

Not everyone likes making French knots.  If you are among that group, consider using Colonial knots instead.  (They won't be as small as the French knots since they have two wraps so you will need to be especially careful to keep them away from that thumb.)   Here are instructions. The first link has a video, the second has step-by-step photos.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2007/03/embroidery-stitch-video-tutorial-2.html

http://www.red-brolly.com/red-brolly/2012/07/tutorial-ready-set-sew-how-to-stitch-a-colonial-knot.html

Because the ermine trim and the front of Santa's robe are going to take so long, I decided to make this a short lesson.  Once you finish your French knots fur, continue stitching and beading your background.  For some bonus fun, take your Blue Russian into a dark room and watch the beard, eyebrows and the wrist fur glow in the dark!  Glow-in-the-dark thread isn't just spooky, it is icy, too!

By the way, I reorganized the Materials List so that everything was grouped by manufacturer.  I thought this would make it easier to print off and shop from. As I add new threads, I'll put them in bold so you don't miss anything.   Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Buying Supplies for the Blue Russian Santa UPDATED

I want to remind everyone that I updated the Materials List for my Russian Santa in the tab above. I've also started adding links to online sources for the more exotic items that are either brand new or not commonly stocked by needlepoint stores. Please support your local shop when you can and remember to substitute for items you can't get easily or which you don't like to use. A good example is yesterday's Ultrasuede appliqué. Not everyone likes fabrics attached to their needlepoint. If that includes you, just repeat the long slanting satin stitches you did for the glass part of the lantern in the black bottom area using black silk, or wool, or Petite Very Velvet if you happen to have them at hand.

UPDATE:  Vicky added a note to the Materials List that the dark gray Wisper W60 is discontinued and has been replaced by Wisper W133 which is the same color according to her.  Either works and you might find either at your local shop, depending how how recently they've restocked their threads.  Thanks for the tip, Vicky!

Remember, there is more than one way to stitch a Russian Santa!  You can copy what I've done or you can use it as a jumping off point for your own version of Northern Light Santa.  Or just recyle my ideas for your own Santa waiting its turn in your stash.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Lighting the Lantern and More

Welcome back to my adventure stitching Leigh's Northern Light Santa!   Last time I promised to finish up the mittens and work on the lantern, but I want to wait a bit on the mittens.  I've added a Smyrna cross to the back of each mitten but I am undecided as to the correct thread color.  So I want to hold off on that before I make up my mind. Instead, I have started adding beads to the Staggered Crosses background.   Remember, you are going to need TWO cards of Petite Silk Lame Braid for the background, so pick up a second if you are using Staggered Crosses in that same thread.

In case you have forgotten, here's the link to the article with the diagram for Staggered Crosses.  
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-blue-russian-choosing-background.html

I used Petite Silk Lame Braid in SP17 for the large crosses in the diagram.  Now I am attaching crystal beads to the spaces where the little cross stitches are in the diagram, using one long doubled ply of Splendor in S855, which is the same color as the Silk Lame Braid but without the metallic.

These are the beads I used in case you want the same thing.
http://www.artbeads.com/dbs0051.html?icid=recpd

They are cylinder-shaped beads (called Delicas), not faceted, that are clear with an iridescent finish (this finish is usually called AB which is short for Aurora Borealis).  They are size 15 (sometimes written 15/0) which means they are smaller than Mill Hill beads, which are usually about size 11.  Substitute something similar if you like.  You can even use little cross stitches in silver metallic or in the Splendor S855 to add touches of color to your background if you don't like using beads.  Experiment a little and see what works for you.

********************************

Now let's take a break.  I have a treat for you!

Kirstin's Blue Russian

Kirstin Thompson has been working her Blue Russian Santa, going her own way.  It looks wonderful and we are lucky that she graciously agreed to allow me to post her progress photo here.  She used a Copic marker to paint the background the color of the metallic filament in the navy Silk Lame Braid she choose so that the bit of canvas that shows gives a little bit of a lighter "glow" through,  She is using Horizontal Double Hungarian (from SuZy Murphy's Portable Stitches) and has added snow under Santa's feet using Snow (in Brian Shaw's Brian's Steppe Stitch).  She also plans to put a winter icy birch tree on the left side of Santa and will probably work the fur in turkey work.  Stay tuned to see what else she comes up with!

Thanks very much for sharing, Kirstin!

********************************

Ok, back to my Russian Santa....

Shiny Santa with Gems in His Diadem

As you can also see in the photo, I added Swarovski crystals to Santa's diadem.  I used four navy and five light blue bicones which are roughly 3mm across.  My bead store doesn't label the colors but I think I used Sapphire (navy) and Light Turquoise (light blue). They are a little larger than I'd like but that's what the local bead shop carries so I made do. (Actually, I am not sure that bicones come any smaller than 3mm.) You can substitute size 11 (or smaller beads) if you like.  You can pick up bicones at the link below if you don't have a local source and want to use them.  Play around with placement and use the mix of colors that suits your Russian Santa best.  I attached mine with a doubled length of silver Accentuate and let them lay at different angles to fit inside my curlicues.
http://www.artbeads.com/swarovski-bicones-3mm.html

To summarize, I am still pondering the snowflakes on the mittens, have started adding beads to the background and have put crystals on the diadem.  Then I worked on the only new item this week--the  lantern.

The Lantern

Using the same clear Water N Ice that I used on Santa's face, I laid long slanting stitches / \ on each side of the glass area of the lantern. Use a laying tool to keep the Water N Ice flat.   I worked each side separately and did not cover any of the black area.  Then I took a black and white copy of the canvas I made on my printer earlier, and cut out the small black triangular base of the lantern from the copy. Using that as a model, I cut the same shape from dark navy Ultrasuede.  Then using DMC navy cotton floss #803 which matches my Ultrasuede color and a sharp beading needle, I carefully stitched it over the base of the lantern. I came up in a hole just outside the fabric and went down just over the edge toward the inside, working my way carefully all around the outside until I had the appliqué firmly in place.

The last step to stitching the lantern uses DMC Color Infusions Memory Thread #6100 Navy and the DMC cotton floss #803 which is the same color are the memory thread.  If you have not used Memory Thread before, it is thin copper wire wrapped with DMC cotton floss. You will need to cut around seven pieces of wire. DO NOT use your good embroidery scissors to cut wire. Use the scissors you use to cut paper. After you make a cut, bend the memory wire with your fingers or tweezers to shape, or use a pencil to make the rounded shape. With the tip of your embroidery scissors, enlarge a hole where you want to insert each end of that piece of wire. Put the wire into the hole, then couch the memory wire into place using one ply of the navy floss. Leave enough on the back side of each cut to wrap the ends together and secure them with your navy floss as you add each section.

Here is the order I worked my lantern edging with the memory wire--Attach a length down the middle of the glass, then add two small pieces on either side of the mitten. Put a loop at the base of the lantern. Cut a piece for the sides and top of the glass of the lantern. Add another piece at the bottom and both sides of the lantern’s metal base. Add a piece over the horizontal line between the glass of the lantern and the Ultreasuede base.

Take careful note of the horizontal bar between the base of the lantern and the glass. On the right side I am one hole short, so I had to take out my couching stitches and move the wire over one hole. To prevent making the mistake I made, look carefully at each section after you lay it in place but before you couch it so you can adjust the position if necessary.  Your lantern will look like this.

Improved Lantern

Here's how Blue Russian looks now.  I have not worked out all the areas yet, so some things you see in the photo below may change. That's the downside of my stitching this as I blog about it.  I change my mind as I go.

Progress as of Jan. 18th

Those with sharp eyes have realized I am playing around with Santa's eyebrows and his beard.  That will be what I work on next time.  I hope to be able to post progress photos next Monday, January. 27.

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow@hotmail.com and I'll get back to you within a day or so.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Mittens and Staff

I've done a little more background stitching on my Blue Russian Santa, and I think I'm going to need a second card of the Petite Silk Lame Braid #SP17 to finish the background.  If you are stitching your Northern Light Santa just like me, you need to get a second card.  You probably won't need much of it, so go in with a friend to share it if that's possible.  If you are using another color of the Petite Silk Lame Braid in the background, pick up a second card for that, too.

When you get a chance, continue stitching the background in Staggered Cross.  I have almost all of the right side done.  Once I finish that side I can do a little auditioning of beads, sequins, and threads to see what I will use for the empty spaces between each cross stitch  but more on that next time.  

In other news, Leigh Designs released the second four Russian Santas at the TNNA trade show in San Diego this weekend.  You can see them on Needle Work's blog.  Click on the photo for a larger view. I know some of you were waiting to see all eight Russian Santas before you ordered.  Once Leigh Designs releases larger photos on their website, I'll add that link here as well.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2014/01/a-few-more-from-day-1.html

Now that the news is out of the way, I want to talk about what I've done with my Santa in the last week.  First, I stitched his staff.

The “stem” of the silver staff is made of Kreinik’s silver Hot Wire 001W, which is size #16 braid with a wire in the middle so it is bendable.  I cut two pieces, one five inches long and one a little over two inches long.    Enlarge the hole at the base of the staff near Santa's feet with the tip of your embroidery scissors just enough that you can insert one end of the five inch length of Hot Wire. Double back the end on the back side and secure, then enlarge the hole of the stem under the mitten that holds the staff.   Insert the top of the longer piece of Hot Wire into that hole bend it over and secure it on the back. A second 2-3 inch length of Hot Wire comes up above the mitten in an enlarged hole, then goes back down again through an enlarged hole at the bottom of the staff’s leaf-shaped tip. Once you have the Hot Wire in place, couch it with a doubled length of thin sliver metallic (I used Accentuate) every 4-5 holes up the length. The tip of the staff is stitched with Kreinik size 12 in silver 001 with long stitches that run vertically down the leaf shape to the stem. Turn the canvas on its side so that Santa’s head is on the right and lay the stitches carefully so each is flat and even. Turn the canvas upright again and put two horizontal stitches over two and four threads where the leaf meets the stem to hide the enlarged hole where the Hot Wire sits. See the photo.

Stitching the Staff Top

Carefully couch the long stitches at the wider top of the staff here and there with a doubled strand of your thin metallic (Accentuate or Sulky or blending filament, doesn’t matter what you use as long as it is roughly the same sliver color as the Hot Wire and size 12 Kreinik) to keep it lined up straight. I used a beading needle since I planned to add beads and crystals next and attach them with the same doubled thin metallic.  Note that the size 12 Kreinik does not cover the paint underneath but that is ok. It adds dimension to the staff’s top.

Once you have the long stitches covering the staff’s top in position, it is time to add crystal sequins on top of the long stitches. If you look at your color copy of the unstitched canvas, you’ll see the leaf-shaped top of the staff is lighter on the third closest to Santa’s face. The rest is a darker silver. I scattered six 3mm silver Swarovski sequins on top of the staff and attached them with beads, using 3 lighter blue-gray beads on the left side of the staff and 3 darker blue-gray beads on the right side. I also positioned one 5mm blue Swarovski crystal at the base and used one more darker blue-gray bead to hold it.

The sequins are attached with beads by putting the sequin on the needle, sliding it down the doubled length of thread to lay on the canvas, and then putting a bead on top.  Go down through the sequin again and the bead will hold the sequin secure. Because the staff is lighter in color nearer Santa's face,  The supplies I used were Sundance's size 14 beads in color 377E which is a light blue-gray and  Mikuki size 15 beads in Gunmetal #15-9541 which is a dark gray.  I used Swarovski Sew-On Flatback crystal sequins, one 5mm crystal sequin in Sapphire F-2300 and six 3mm crystal sequins in Blk Diamond #F-300.  I put these items on the Materials List but I encourage you to use what you have.  Regular sequins and beads will work just fine.  I like a smaller size 14 or 15 bead (sometimes written 14/0 and 15/0) so they don't cover up the 3mm sequins but really you can use whatever you have available to you.

Staff and Mittens

Above is what my staff looks like finished.  Notice that I've also stitched the mittens.  Like the staff, they take longer to explain than they actually take to stitch.  Using my dark teal Impressions 8121, I tent stitched both thumbs.  I padded the central area of the mittens with this same thread, starting out with 4-5 rows of straight stitches that were perpendicular to how the fingers lay in a mitten.  Make sure you stay in the middle of the mittens.  Leave 2-3 threads all around the perimeter uncovered by the padding satin stitches.  Next, add a second layer of padding that is perpendicular to the first layer. Cover a little more of the mitten this time.  Now, add a third layer,  again perpendicular to the second layer.  Cover a little more of the mitten.  The final layer is the fourth, and it covers the entire mitten and the stitches run the way the fingers lay.  Once you finish, add a layer of satin stitches over the thumbs you tent stitched.  You will have to run them under the staff for the hand that holds the staff.  Just slide your needle under the staff carefully and pull the Impressions through.

There are supposed to be snowflakes on the back of each mitten (this is traditional for Russian Santas) but nothing I've tried works yet.  I will tackle that next week before moving on to the next area--the lantern.  I should be back next week, January 20th--with my latest stitches.

Email me if you have questions (chilly hollow at hotmail dot com) or leave a comment here. If you worked your diadem in a laid trellis pattern, I'd love a photograph to show off here.  I forgot to mention last time that many Faberge eggs had trellis patterns, so if you went this route, you are following in the footsteps of great Russian art.

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/02/russian-imperial-faberge-eggs.html

See you next Monday!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Polka Dots and Spaghetti

With the holidays just ending and a major deadline this week, I didn't have a lot of time to spend stitching my Russian Santa, so I choose small areas to work up.   I decided I would stitch Santa's cap and diadem, and his dark teal robe and sleeve.

If you haven't made a color copy of your canvas, do so now.  Also make a black and white copy.  You are going to use them this week.

The dark teal of the robe, sleeve and cap are all stitched in Dotted Swiss.  This is a quick and easy stitch that is perfect for small areas that need a little texture.  Because this is Northern Light Santa, I wanted a mix of velvet and sparkle, and Dotted Swiss is perfect for that as well.

Here's the stitch diagrammed for you.  Start with the cap.  Work the cross stitches first in two shades of teal using Impressions 8121 (the darker teal) and Impressions 7005 (the lighter shade).  Use the lighter Impressions for the lighter painted areas.  The cross stitches look like polka dots, don't they?  Step two is to add in the tent stitches with two shades of Kreinik metallic.  Use #8 Kreinik in 025 (blue-gray) in the areas stitched with the lighter Impressions and use #12 Kreinik in 018 (dark blue) for the areas that have the darker Impressions.  Note that I used two sizes of the Kreinik.  Pull the #12 dark blue metallic tight and let the #8 lighter blue rest lightly on the canvas when you work your tent stitches.  I am going to need the #12 later and decided it was a waste of money to buy two spools of the same color, one in size 8 and one in size 12.  I am making the #12 do double duty here.

Once you have the cap finished, work the sleeve and the two outer robes on each side the same way. A tip to keep from accidentally getting off track with your cross stitches when doing Dotted Swiss is to always stitch them on the same mesh intersection.  You know how on 18 count canvas some mesh intersections have the horizontal -- thread on top and some mesh intersections have the vertical | thread on top?  If you always pick the same direction intersection for the cross stitch and check as you work, you won't throw the checkerboard effect off.

The diadem is stitched in basketweave except for the dots of blue and green where gems go.  Skip those places.  Use Kreinik size 8 in 001L holographic silver for the lighter silver of the diadem and Kreinik size 8 in 5001 (blue with pink highlights) for the darker areas.  Boring, right?  Hey, this is just Step One!   We are laying a foundation for Step Two.  Look at the diadem in this black and white copy of the canvas.

Spaghetti on the left, Trellis on the right

See the squiggles that look like cooked spaghetti on the left side of the diadem? This is a filling stitch that embroiderers use.  Using my Kreinik #4 silver 001HL, I came up just to the left of the arrow point and laid curlicues and circles all over the basketweave, couching the #4 very fine braid down with silver Accentuate.  I was careful to avoid the gem stone dots of color, though.  Later on I will put beads or crystals on top of those dots.  (By the way, my black and white photo is from earlier, before I removed the excess Staggered Cross that helped me continue the row across Santa's cap to line up the background on the other side.)

Mary Corbet used this same technique on a piece of gold work she designed.  She has more space so her spaghetti doesn't double back on itself.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2011/06/couching-gold-thread-over-flat-silk.html

Since I know not everyone likes random curves and loops, look at the right half of the diadem.  I have sketched a trellis pattern there.  If you prefer, use your #4 silver Kreinik in a regular pattern of straight lines, couching each thread intersection where they cross with your Accentuate or blending filament or whatever thin silver metallic you happen to have.  It will be harder to avoid the gem dots of color with a trellis pattern, but you can approximate your gemstones on the trellis later, using your color copy of the canvas as a guide. It can be hard to see the bare dots once you add the basketweave layer, so whichever route you take for your diadem, you will need that color copy for jewel placement on the diadem later.

Once you stitch a pattern on top of the diadem's basketweave, you will finish the diadem by back stitching a line of the size 12 Kreinik in 018 all around the outside edge.  See the arrows?  That's where I came up to start my backstitching around the outside edge.  This adds a definition in a darker color all around the diadem in a color that echoes the color of the cap Santa wears.  Told you I would need that #12 Kreinik later!

Diadem Awaiting Gems

Here is how my Blue Russian looks now.  You can see his sleeve is worked in Dotted Swiss just like the cap.

I'll post again about my progress so you can follow along on Monday, January 13. Yes, that's a week from today, but today's lesson won't take you very long.  I think I'll be talking about the mittens and the silver staff next.  If you get caught up before then, work on the background some more.  I hope to have the right side's background around the staff stitched before I work the staff.

Email me if you have questions (chilly hollow at hotmail dot com) or leave a comment here.  If you work your diadem in a laid trellis pattern, I'd love a photograph to show off here.

See you next Monday!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian Update

I won't be ready to talk more about my Northern Light Santa from Leigh until next Monday, January 6. With the holidays and my TNNA deadlines, I can't do much on him right now. However, I did remove the demonstration background stitches I showed you last time and continued to work background around his head and shoulders.  I have about a third of the background done now.  Those who are following along should do the same--get as much background around his head and the top of his staff done as possible before January 6 so that you'll be ready to work with me as I start the next area.  Stay tuned!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Blue Russian: Choosing Background Threads and Stitches

Once I had a background shape roughed out, then it was time to choose a thread and a stitch for the background.  I wanted something small in scale, Leigh wanted something that looked icy and cold, and I wanted a beautiful stitch.  I always like beautiful backgrounds, don't you?  This is Father Frost, the Russian Santa, so I was thinking cold, icy and Fabrege in style.

I looked at all the threads I had chosen, trying to find a color than enhanced the blues and silvers and whites on Santa that looked icy.  I couldn't use white or pale blue (the natural choices for an ice look) since the whites and pale blues of the Blue Russian would run the risk of blending into the background.  What to do?  I knew I could always go with ecru as Northern Light Santa is painted on ecru canvas and looks good, but this isn't an icy color.   I finally ended up with a lovely shade of pale pastel blue with a hint of green mint--Splendor S855.  It is called "Blue Blush."
http://bethsneedlepoint.com/Dot_StoreProducts.asp?storecategoryDesc=Splendor&idstoreCategory=57

I like it because it is so pale but it is not white or blue.  I only had Splendor, though.  To get the proper icy feel, I was going to want Silk Lame Braid with its metallic sparkle.  Have you used Silk Lame Braid before?  I love it!  It is Rainbow Gallery silk mixed with metallic in three sizes:  13 count, 18 count and Petite.  You choose the diameter of thread based on what stitch you plan to use.   But does the same pastel blue with a hint of mint come in Silk Lame Braid?  To find out, I used my Secret Weapon--I emailed Rainbow Gallery and asked.  The answer was YES!

And I soon had my hands on 18 count Silk Lame Braid SL17 and Petite Silk Lame Braid SP17, which you see in the photo along with the original Splendor S855.  They are all the same color, except that the Silk Lame Braids have a touch of green metallic woven in with the silk.  (By the way, the 18 count SL17 also has gold highlights along with the green although the Petite SP17 does not have a touch of gold.)  In the photo you see three cards of my color in regular and Petite Silk Lame Braid and also in Splendor.  The stitched area around Santa's head and staff are in that color although ti looks whiter in the photograph.

For the background, I choose a lovely stitch called Staggered Crosses.  That's the diagonal stitch in the upper right of the canvas above Blue Russian's head.  I've only stitched the big crosses in the photo above.   The tiny cross stitches (which can be replaced by beads) have not been done yet.

Why that stitch?  Because it is beautiful, it is a two-step stitch so I can add a second thread to ramp up the ice or beauty factor in Step Two, and it is small scale.  All that matters.  In the large photo above you will also see three tubes of beads and a packet of blue crystal sequins.  I have been considering whether to use beads or sequins in Step Two of Staggered Crosses, so I poured out clumps of beads and put sequins on the canvas just to see what the colors do with my stitch.   Right over Santa's head are a clump of tiny pearls, then there is a clump of crystal beads, and finally on the right side a group of blue-green beads. So far I like the pearls best.  I also put two blue sequins on the canvas.  Alas, I can see I need to stitch more of Santa before I decide what to do with Step Two in the background.

If you look even more closely at this photo, you'll see I have three background stitches tested in the background.  On the right side I've done quite a bit of Staggered Crosses (and will do some more of that background after Christmas) but on the left I've worked some Large Woven Stitch in gold and blue.  This stitch is groups of slanting parallel lines with a shorter stitch in between. You can do all three stitches in a stitch unit in one color or you can use a second color on the middle short stitch.  This is a slightly larger scale stitch but very elegant in golds.  It occurred to me that folks stitching several Russian Santas might like a stitch that they could use on all of their Santas.  Blue Russian could have a silver background with blue touches, the Holly Santa could have a gold background with green touches and the Birdland Santa could be gold with red, etc.  You get the idea.

This is what Large Woven Stitch looks like.  Sharp observers have also spotted the blue snowflake on the left side of Santa.  This is actually a Russian Orthodox cross.  I thought folks who want a basketweave background because they are doing a shaped stand up or ornament might like to include something Russian in the background.  I charted two of these Russian style crosses--one color block equals one tent stitch.  They can be scattered across the background.  Make a paper copy of your canvas and put coins all around the background until you find an arrangement you like, circle the coins on the paper and then put your Russian Crosses there on your actual canvas.

Before I end for this week, I have added a new tab to the front page of Blog--a materials list for the Northern Light Santa.  As I make my choices, I will list the materials I am using there for those of you who are copying my stitching exactly.  Eventually I'll transfer that list to the stitch guide but for now, it's there to help you in your shopping.  For those of you who have to mail order everything, I suggest you wait until I am further along before you start ordering so you don't have to pay multiple shipping charges. I'm sorry, but this is unfolding as I blog, so I don't know what I am going to use yet.

I'll be back again on January 6th with more stitching on Blue Russian. Until then, everyone have a happy Christmas and a safe New Year!

Questions?  Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.