Look at the Cats, Not Vivian Leigh

Yesterday I finished the border around the perimeter of Vivian Leigh and then promptly ripped it all out. I hated how it looked.  Alone, the border looked great, but the mix of deep violet and the overdye's shading just didn't look good with the paler and lighter center of the square.  Instead of setting it off, it detracted from the square and really bothered me.  So out it came.  I am going to try again today.  Wish me luck!

While I wrestle with Vivian,  here's a preview of new designs created for the Columbus TNNA show in June.  The canvas above is the latest Halloween Trick or Treat Cats from Patt and Lee Designs.  There is a preview canvas --but just one-- available from New Needlepoint as the owner Marianne and Patt herself are good friends.  Patt has just finished stitching the canvas and is writing up the stitch guide which will be available soon.  Note that the canvas is 16 count.
http://www.newneedlepoint.com/content-product_info/product_id-2412/trick_or_treat_needlepoint_kit.html

That's not all.  There are more Trick or Treat cats, and cats in general, that will appear in June at the trade show.  These are on the Patt and Lee website already. (That pirate cat cracks me up!) Patt and Lee creates high quality printed canvases on the size 14, 16 or 18 canvas.  Charts are also available, and there are plans to release the most popular of their line as painted canvases since many stitchers don't realize what good quality (and great prices) there are in the Patt and Lee line of printed designs.  You can wait and pay more for a painted canvas later this year or splurge now.
http://www.pattandleedesigns.com/whats_new_for_june_market_tnna

I hope you have fun exploring the newest designs for our stitching pleasure while I glare at Vivian....

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

Vivian Leigh (and More)

Last night I finished up the diagonal trellis squares and then tackled the triangular Sprats heads around the border of Vivian Leigh.  They gave me fits but not because they are hard to stitch.  I had trouble picking a thread to use.  As you remember from yesterday, I decided to use the overdyed silk that was supposed to be used for the Sprats head stitches for the slanted buttonhole variations instead.  But I really didn't want to switch the threads for these two areas because I didn't think black would look good in the Sprats heads.  I thought they'd just disappear into the sashing and border around this square.  That's one of the problems of using black as one of the four colors (plus overdye) for this piece.  You can't do shading well.  Tony's green Sprats heads are not the same shade as his green sashing but my blacks are all pretty similar and in this instance, I wanted more than texture to make these stand out.

So I did a lot of stitching and ripping out.  In the end I settled on using Rainbow Gallery's Rainbow Linen in deep purple #R453.  This is a 100% linen thread in a perle twist.  It makes a lovely contrast to the rest of the stitching, especially the overdyed threads that are also in the border.  I should finish all the Sprats heads today and the bottom area of sashing and be ready to return to my painted canvas tomorrow.

In other news:

Madonna takes scissors to her Red Kerchief canvas.  Not to worry, it turns out just great in the end.
http://frontrangestitches.blogspot.com/2010/04/rk-final-frontier.html

Before I forget, Needle Works' April newsletter is available for viewing on their website.  Links to recent newsletters are in the left column below the green owl canvas.
http://theneedleworks.com/

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

Vivian Leigh Almost Grown Up

The last Stars quilt block on the top row is almost done.  I first did the squares outside the center star.  They are a four step trellis variation stitch.  Then I did the slanting button hole variation stitch with my overdyed silk and have started the first of the Sprats Head stitches that fill the triangular empty spots around the border of this block.

There's a closeup of Vivian Leigh below so you can see the trellis variation stitch better.  This is stitched four times and I didn't finish it so you could see how Tony took a basic trellis pattern and added layers to it to make a complex layered stitch that is very pretty.  You can see that the stitches in the Stars for the New Millennium book are not standard.  The Headmaster is making them up as he goes along.  After I finish this piece, I'm going to reuse the Stars book as a stitch dictionary and as inspiration to embellish other stitches to add depth and complexity of color and texture to the painted canvases I love.

The first step of the square Diagronal Trellis Variation is above at the Southwest position between the black rimmed kite shapes.  It is done in C3, which for me is my terracotta Trebizond silk perle #Peach Sorbet 343.    I did two of the squares with the canvas right side up and the other two with the canvas upside down so that I was certain that the top layer of the trellis was always the same.  Tony tells us the Southwest to Northeast layer is done first and if I turned the canvas sideways to work, I was afraid I'd get the wrong layer on top.

Move counter-clockwise to the right and you'll see layer two, which is long narrow cross stitches laid on top at an angle.  This step uses A1, my violet Impressions 6242.  If you continue to move counter-clockwise, you'll see step three, which adds another layer of long narrow cross stitches but these are in B8 (black Trebizond silk perle #1320) and they slant the opposite diection.  There is a lot of compensation in this layer but it's easy to do.

The final step adds tiny Upright Crosses over two threads between the slanting narrow cross stitches.  This step is done in D2, which is my light copper metallic Petite Treasure Braid #PB21.  I am not sure if you can tell from the last square in the upper Northwest corner, but this step really brings the stitch to life by adding a touch of metallic.

The last two steps in Vivian Leigh are the parallelograms in slanting buttonhole variation stitches and the triangular Sprats Head stitches that interlock to make up the border.  The instructions say to stitch the buttonhole stitches with B7 and the Sprats Heads in the overdyed silk (which is separate from Tony's colors A, B, C and D).  I decided that since my B7 is the black silk perle Trebizond #111, and my overdyed silk floss is Threadgather's Silk N Colors #Autumn Twilight 62, that the overdyed silk would make better buttonhole stitches and the silk perle better Sprats Heads, so I switched them.  I like how it all turned out, although I am tempted to pull out the buttonhole stitches and do them all in an terracotta overdyed cotton floss that shades from coppery dark to light terracotta....

We'll see if I actually do it once I finish the Diagonal Trellis Variation area and once I master a Sprats Head or two.  I will still have to do the sashing under Vivian Leigh before I can put this away for a bit to go back to my Leigh Dynasty ornament.  I won't be doing the right outside border until all of the quilt blocks are done to minimize disturbing the border while stitching quilt blocks.

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

Introducing Diana Bosworth

Texas stitchers and fans of Petei's designs already know all about Diana Bosworth, the genius who works at The French Knot in Fort Worth creating the monthly Santa club there each year from Petei's canvases.
http://www.thefrenchknot.com/models/petei.html

Santa fanciers probably have at least heard of her little booklet called Beards I Have Known, which is full of tips on stitching a huge variety of beards and hair for your Santa Claus. (I own an autographed copy which I use a lot.  Diana, I'm waiting for you to write Backgrounds I Have Known, or Clothing for Petei books.  Either would be a great addition to my bookshelf.  Pretty please?)
http://www.thefrenchknot.com/books_access_books.htm

Now courtesy of the Cleburne Times-Review's online paper, we can read an interview with Diana done by Larue Barnes.  Larue kindly let me use her photo of Diana above, too.
http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/features/x1612543464/Larue-Barnes-Kept-in-stitches

I have to say I disagree with Diana Bosworth's husband when he says,  “I’m so proud of Diana. What she creates are heirlooms, they are true treasures.”  The true treasure is Diana herself.

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

Stars: Vivian Begins to Grow

As you can see, Vivian Leigh is expanding to fill the quilt block.  I finally got all the black crescents on top of the last step, then added small triangles to flank the kite-shaped areas. This part is done with A7 (which for me is DMC cotton floss in 340).  It looks woven to me and is starting to make the rather boring center a lot more interesting.

I've posted the photo turned on its side to show that the overall Stars for the New Millennium design looks good from any angle.  There are three more areas to finish before the block is done.  The next one is a very complex trellis pattern with four steps of its own, followed by parallelograms and triangles that interlock to make a fancy border. I won't get it all done tonight. I'll be lucky if I manage to get all of the trellis steps done!

I hope it continues to add to Vivian Leigh.  I like how she is starting to look.  Once I finish her, I'll decide whether to add beads to the previous block and do the sashing below the block before I return to my painted canvas project.

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