Blue Skies, No Stars

The Candy Cane Dog Stocking is coming right along.  The blue sky behind the dog is completely stitched in basketweave using Petite Very Velvet #V618 Antique Blue.  (Note that Very Velvet 218 is the same color.  Rainbow Gallery calls all Very Velvet threads 2xx and all Petite Very Velvet threads 6xx.  If the second and third digits in the color number are identical, the colors are identical between the two size of this velour-like thread.)
You can read more about using this thread at these sites.
http://shopthestitchery.com/item_1/Petite-Very-Velvet.htm

http://rittenhouseneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2010/02/focus-on-very-velvet.html

I love the look and feel of this thread but using it did mean I had to deviate from my plan to stitch the little stars in the Petite Very Velvet sky with overdyed Krenik from ThreadworX.  I have some beautiful overdyed blue Kreinik that Beth from ThreadworX sent me.  I wanted to use it for the little stars in the sky.  I have both #8 braid and #12 braid but the #8 sinks into the Petite Very Velvet whether I use tent stitches or cross stitches.  The #12 also disappears as a tent stitch and is too fat in a cross stitch.  It just looks messy as a XS, which is a sure sign you are using the wrong weight of thread.  I've put my #71018 aside and hope I can use it later because it is beautiful.
http://threadworx.com/product.php?catid=8&catName=Hand%20Overdyed%20Metallic%20#8%20braid%20-%2010%20yards&pg_num=1

So it's on to Plan B, which is to use beads for these tiny stars.  I have tiny fake white pearl beads and slightly larger size 11 crystal beads, either of which will work. I am going to postpone choosing which to use until the large snowflakes are stitched.  I think how I work them will impact which color and style of bead to use for the tiny stars.

In the photo you'll see I have been stitching the top and toe of the stocking, using two different threads.  It didn't escape my notice as I studied the top and toe patterns that there were separate elements making up the red areas.  I decided I would stitch those separately.  In the top I've done a long mosaic stitch using red Very Velvet (the large size, not the Petite I used for the sky).  In the bottom I'm doing Scotch stitches both large and small plus some little fishbone stitches which are just interlocking V shapes, using red Crystal Braid CR18 from Rainbow Gallery.

I think I like the Crystal Braid best for this piece.  The Very Velvet is just too thick for 18 count canvas, especially if I need to use it in tent stitches in the small areas around the little snowflakes.  Interestingly, the Crystal Braid is constructed the same way as the blue snow's Silk Lame Braid.  The main difference seems to be that Crystal Braid is a mix of nylon and polyester while Silk Lame Braid is a mix of silk and rayon.  The Crystal Braid is a bit shinier and a little less easy to snag and it works well on 18 count just like the Silk Lame Braid does.  Either is a great touch when you need some shine without going all out.  I hope the photos on the Rainbow Gallery site help you understand what these two threads are like.  I
http://www.rainbowgallery.com/detail.cfm?ID=914

http://www.rainbowgallery.com/detail.cfm?ID=1190

I've added a scan of each.  The blue thread is the silk/rayon Silk Lame Braid and the red thread is the nylon/polyester Crystal Braid. Each is a lovely thread, and I am happy to use both for the Candy Cane Dog.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Newsletters

I have two newsletters for you to enjoy this morning.  Amy Bunger has posted her March 1st newsletter and this time it has photos of a new type of K's floor stand, one that holds your stretcher bars or frame on both sides, not just one.  I think this is perfect for the larger canvases and it looks like folks like me who already own the K's metal frame can buy the adaptor pieces to use this.  (I love my metal floor frame from K's, by the way.  It is perfect for my needs.)  Click on the link at the top of this page to view the newsletter.  Older newsletter links are futher down on the page.
http://www.amybunger.com/current_enewsletters.html

The Busy Needle has their Winter Market newsletter on their website.  Want to know what goodies they saw?  Read the newsletter and drool, then click on Home and then on the What's New link on the left side of the page to see if anything they described has arrived yet.  I was particularly glad to see the Stitch & Zip Kindle cases there.  I've been wondering about them.
http://www.busyneedle.com/Newsletter/index.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Stitching The Ground Elmer Sits On

Because this is a Christmas stocking, I want it to have a lot of zing, which means I want to use things that shine and catch the eye--things such as metallic threads, beads and/or crystals, or I can also use color to make this stocking a star on the Christmas tree.  I can also use contrasts to make elements of this stocking stand out.

Studying the Kirk & Hamilton stocking and thinking about Christmas stockings in general and how I'd like this one to look, I thought I would like to have bling in each section, whether it is the dog, the toe or the top.  The snowflakes are easy but how do I make the dog stand out with bling?  I decided that the best way to do this is to surround the dog with beaded or metallic stars in the dark blue sky and to treat the lighter blue ground he stands on as sparkling snow.  If I make the dog darker and solid with heavier threads, those contrasts should make him the focal point.

So I needed a thread and a stitch to accomplish this.  First, I pulled out all the threads in my stash which are close to the blue of the ground the dog stands on.  Keeping in mind that I wanted sparkle, I tossed out the dull threads that are wools or cottons, won't work well on 18 count canvas, etc.  I ended up with a card of Silk Lame Braid, which is a new thread from Rainbow Gallery that twists silk and metallic together into a soft thread with a little sparkle.  This thread is intended for 18 count (there is a 13/14 count-sized version) but I used a size 20 needle to get it through the holes instead of my more normal 22 or 24 as this thread is easily snagged.  I choose Sky Blue SL13 and used shorter than normal lengths to cut down on snagging or roughing up this delicate thread.
http://www.rainbowgallery.com/Detail.CFM?ID=1149

Now for a stitch.  I'd recently seen Robin King use a nice stitch for her SharonG Miss Kitty bra and tap pants set--Victorian Stair Step.  I liked the look but decided that I wanted the slant to go the other way, so I reversed it into Backwards Victorian Stair.  It gave me a little diagonal movement, especially since I used a sparkly thread that gives movement through its shine.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/02/pink-background-phase-1.html

Here are two online diagrams of the normal Victorian Stair Step stitch.
http://carolelake.com/Stitches/VictStep.htm

http://www.needlesandthreadsofruxton.com/stitches/victorianstep.pdf

If you look closely at the final photo, you'll see I stopped stitching my blue snow ground the dog sits on before the painted canvas ends at the horizon.  That was the logical stopping point.  I'll continue the darker blue sky a little more to meet where I want the backwards Victorian Stair Step to end when I stitch that part of the stocking.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Stars: Black Marker Edition

As planned I've pulled out the sashing top layer and colored my canvas with black fabric marker in the areas that are solid black to help hide the canvas "dandruff" where the bare canvas shows. If you are using another color than black, you probably don't have to do this but the contrast of the black thread on top of the colored canvas is just too much.  The photo above shows some of the black areas marked with my black FabricMate chisel tip marker.  It looks just like a magic marker but is a permanent pigment fabric marker that is supposed to dry to be permanent after 24 hours.  The photo below shows some of the sashing restitched to show less dandruff.

You may not be able to tell in the photos but in person this really helps cut down on the lighter canvas showing up where stitches meet.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Candy Cane Dog Stocking: Emphasizing What's Important

Once I have decided what I want to emphasize on this painted canvas (which is basically the dog, his candy cane, and the snowflake top and toe of the stocking), it is time to work on what threads and stitches I want to use.

I like to stitch realistic canvases so I am in the habit of thinking about what things look like in real life and choosing threads and stitches that mimic what one actually sees.

There is also the rule that light colors come forward while dark things recede.  I've found this doesn't always work, but perhaps what Melissa Shirley said in her guest blogger stint here will help us refine this rule:

Melissa Shirley said:
I’ll take the opportunity to say here one of the things I think about a lot when I’m stitching and when I see stitched work is how the stitching and thread selection creates a depth of field. I want to see what’s in front come forward and what’s in back recede and I try to use color and threads and stitches to achieve that. The few “rules” I try to keep in mind are:

Threads that come forward are shiny, lighter and warmer colors, and heavier in weight. Threads that recede are matte, cooler colors and thinner in weight.

With these rules in mind, I studied the stocking.  We have the dog which I could stitch with warm browns and black in medium shades of brown with fuzzy threads like wools to make him come forward.  The darker blue sky and the lighter blue ground he stands on will naturally recede because blue is a cooler color than the brown and black on the dog. 

The red stocking toe and top are a warm red, and if I use a sparkling thread for the snowflakes, they will also be a little more prominent.

The candy cane done in red and white with a sparkling thread will also come forward.  I could also pad it to make it even more prominent.

I will still need to deal with the stocking cap and the dog's collar but those are small areas I can approach as I work him.  I may just reuse threads I used elsewhere for these areas.

This is a small Christmas stocking, so I need to remember that it must have full thread coverage to wear well and I'll need to choose threads that allow it to hold its own on a Christmas tree full of lights and shiny ornaments, all screaming for attention.

None of this has really helped me pick threads and textures, but it has narrowed things down.  Remember, you don't need to plan everything out before you start stitching.  You just need to think about how the piece will be used which effects how durable your threads have to be and how eye-catching, what you want to emphasize in the design, and what is less important.

Tomorrow I'll talk about choosing the first area to stitch and picking a thread and stitch for this area.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow