Winter 2023 Mystery: Helen Heins Peterson's "Dragonflies"

Ruth Schmuf just announced her Winter 2023 Mystery class--Helen Heins Peterson's "Dragonflies," which features dragonflies, flowers, frogs and flying insects and a beetle.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2022/12/new-year-new-mystery/

As always, I'll add to this posting as Ruth posts class updates.  The first of four classes is February 5, so hurry to sign up if you are interested.

Ruth is like me and almost always does her backgrounds first.  These look really sparkly!

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2023/02/backgrounds-first/

Now we have leaves and stems (and bugs).

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2023/03/leaves-please/

There are sparkly wings and fuzzy bugs.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2023/03/sparkly/

The final step is frogs and tulips!  The frogs have big eyes and the tulips are really lovely.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2023/04/hi/

Here's the whole finished piece.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2024/01/a-slimey-limey-green-frame/

UPDATE:  This is Maria's version, made into a pillow.  Magnificent!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=795081429438304&set=gm.7724033814340376&idorvanity=108537025890131

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright December 31, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Dragonfly Boxes on Display

A few of Mindy's dragonfly boxes with their coordinating canvases are on display at The Canvasback.

https://www.facebook.com/canvasbackneedlepoint/photos/a.2186989124702461/4591019840966032/

You can see more on Mindy's website.  She also posts new canvases and boxes on her Facebook page. Mindy's Needlepoint.

http://www.mindysneedlepoint.com/shop/Mindys-Needlepoint-Designs/Lacquer-Dragonfly-Boxes.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.co

 © Copyright January 13, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Just Stick Beads Anywhere UPDATED

Beaded Berries

Mary Corbet did an interesting article about adding beads to almost any embroidery stitch I thought you might find interesting. 
http://www.needlenthread.com/2015/06/adding-beads-to-embroidery-stitches.html

Mary's right--Sundance's little book on bead embroidery makes the same point.  And I know it myself as I often add beads to any stitch to get unusual effects.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-sundance-beads-for.html

See the picture above?  Those little beaded berries (on Leigh's Imari Dragonflies) are round Rhodes stitches.  Come up, string on beads, go down.  Easy peasy, although you will need to use more beads as the hump gets bigger to reach from one side to the other.

It's a fact, beads and stitches go together like peanut butter and jelly.

(By the way, Tisha has Sundance's booklet for sale at a good price if you want one.)
http://www.needlepointtooltime.com/product/SB

UPDATE:  Pippa's adding beads everywhere in her beads with stitches sampler.  There are some terrific ideas here!
http://saves9embroidery.blogspot.com/2015/06/sampling.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 4, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Peeking Through Joan's Window

Joan Eidman of Fiori shows off her studio during her annual thread sorting party.  Alas!  There don't seem to be refreshments but there is a great brick cover lion from Susan Roberts and three Melissa Shirley dragonflies.  There is also a pillow and a seat cover that I can barely see but I think are Joan's own designs.
http://joaneidman.com/spring-cleaning/

I hope the next time Joan puts away her threads by color she invites us over.  I'll bring the drinks!  (in covered cups to protect the stash)

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 23, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Imari Dragonflies Is All About the Layers (and Beads)

The Naked Canvas!  How would you stitch it?

Whenever I start stitching a designer model, I discover that the hand painted canvas has a theme that strikes me as I try to figure out how to stitch it. Leigh Designs' Imari Divine Dragonflies is the perfect example of this.Above is the bare canvas which I stitched for Leigh.  (And yes, my stitch guide is available.)

Looking at the canvas with a critical eye, you'll see four quadrants separated by a teal and gold brocade ribbon.  There is a pink flower in the center and three dragonflies floating above it all.  The upper left and lower right quadrants have 3-4 background patterns while the quadrants with the larger pink flower and the thorns with berries have only one background.  That made this piece all about layers and their positions relative to each other. How do I make the central flower the most prominent one when the other flower is larger?  How do I make dragonflies look like they are on top of four busy patterns?  How do I stitch the various backgrounds so they work together along the edges where they meet?  What do I do with the four solid color corners so that they contain this mayhem without looking too plain?

My general rule when I need to make something more prominent is to slap beads on it.  

Two Pink Flowers

Therefore the central pink flower is solidly beaded.  The dragonflies each have very large beads along their bodies to draw attention to them, but there are only a few so that the beads don't distract from the beauty of the paint on their wings (done in light coverage stitches so it shows up).  The larger pink flower has a complex pattern and hex beads so the visual interest balances the thorn berries which are very prominent because they are totally beaded but in only one color against a rather plain background using round beads.

Thorn Berries Seen from the Side

It's all a balancing act, making the things you think should be prominent stand out while you use various tricks (my favorite is light coverage stitches) to make the various backgrounds recede.

Imari Dragonflies Finished

All of the Imari series is about layers fighting each other for attention.  Leigh really knows how to challenge a stitcher!
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp628x.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 27, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.