Happy Birthday, Marty!

We miss you.
With love from Jane and Mark.

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

Elmer Has a Cap

Last night I gave the little dog his Santa stocking cap.  The red is stitched in random long stitches, slanting to show direction, using Vinceyard Silk for the bright red and Silk N Colors in a darker variegated red for the shading.  The fur trim is all French knots, just one wrap, done in Burmilana (white) and Medici (gray).  I can see lint in the photo from the wool in these threads I'll need to remove today.

You can see in the photo that I've started filling in the large snowflakes at the top using white Very Velvet.  I am not quite sure I like this as much as I like the couched lines in Very Velvet.  In a certain light the Very Velvet looks pink paired with the red Crystal braid.  I will think on this while I work on the dog's body.

Mixing whites with other whites and whites with strong colors can be tricky.  I think the white Burmilana on the dog's cap looks ok with the white in the Very Velvet but I'm not sure.  Another thing to think about.  I wasn't going to use the Burmilana and Medici on Elmer's muzzle but now I think I might want to, just to minimize any differences between the face and cap.

Do any of you stitch a lot of Santas?  How do you handle the differences between Santa's white beard and the fur trim on his red Santa suit?

I plan to pad the candy cane and stitch it tonight and then work on the muzzle.  That's The Plan anyway but things change.  Elmer is a very demanding dog!

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

Sparkling Red and Dull White

I'm making good progress on the candy cane dog stocking.  Last night I stitched most of the red areas in the top and toe of the stocking and started experimenting with the right thread for the white lines and snowflakes.

I thought originally that I would use a highly reflective thread, probably a metallic, for the white snowflakes and use something that was matte for the red areas. Elmer has turned that idea on its head, first with the fact that metallic threads don't show up well against the dusty blue sky and now because I used the sparkly red Crystal Braid for the stocking top and toe.

But when you stitch a painted canvas, each choice you make effects the next choice you make, and the next!  You have to be flexible and just go with where the design choices you make take you.  So I pulled out some white Kreinik 032 braid and some white Very Velvet and did some test stitching in the stocking's toe.  I didn't like how the Kreinik looked paired with the sparkling red Crystal Braid.  The two threads were too much alike in areas that are very different and with great contrast between colors, so I pulled out my Kreinik test stitches and tried Very Velvet instead.  Its contrast with the Crystal Braid looked very good.  So I tent stitched the bottom diagonal line on the toe for a few stitches.  That I didn't like. Turns out this stocking wants a long length of thread laid across the white lines.  If you use the same thread to couch it down with a tent stitch every other hole, you get a very nice smooth velvet line that stands up to the fancy Crystal Braid.

In the photo above I haven't finished all the red Crystal Braid in the stocking top but have done the toe's white diagonal lines and have also done tent stitches in the centers of each large snowflake. I've also stitched a few tent stitches in the partial snowflake's edge on the right toe.  I will play with the large snowflakes tonight and finish the red areas in the top of the stocking.

I think now that the candy cane itself will look great padded using white Very Velvet with the red Crystal Braid for the candy stripe but we'll have to see  how that goes.  I'll be starting the dog shortly and I think I want to get the candy cane and hat done before I tackle the dog's eyes and face.  Stay tuned as Elmer comes to life....

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

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