O'jishi's Forehead

Moving to the next round area on the mask, I used the same unnamed round stitch used on his nose to decorate the center of his forehead above the eyes.  The first photo shows how I centered the stitch.  I worked the four central straight stitches in rows right above where they are on the nose so that the nose stitches and the forehead ones line up.  Working from the center out is the easiest way to do this.  (You can see I've started working the right side now from the center to that side.)  Working all the rows I know that the stitch fits.  Notice I'm working over the curved lines.  Remember, this is a layered canvas since I'm using light coverage stitches.  The painted design is the first layer, barely covered with a layer of stitches.  There will be more layers, probably couching and stem stitch and beads, on top of these.

This next photo shows the area stitched.  I will work the top of the head next, using another round stitch that is smaller in scale than the one used on the nose and forehead.  Just to remind you, all these stitches are in two plies of Gloriana silk (Lacquered Gold.)

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

O'jishi's Nose

O'jishi has a nose now.  The stitch (still done in two plies of Gloriana's Lacquered Gold), is from Brenda Hart's Favorite Stitches, page 34's bottom stitch.  It doesn't have a name.  The dimples you see on the nose are from the underlying painted canvas and are bumps that are scattered all over his face.  Those will be covered later.

I plan to use the same stitch in the circle area in the center of his forehead.  I'm working the circle areas on his face first.  Then I will have to go back and decide what stitch to use in the oval areas (below his nose) or the crescent areas (to the left and right of each eye).  It's progress, even if it is slow.  And remember, this is the lower layer of his face.  Bumps and other things will go on top of these stitches.

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

REVIEW: Stitches CDs

I've become a fan of the Ruth Schmuff/Kathy Holicky series of stitch dictionaries on CDs.  There are three CDs to date.  I bought Volume One at Needlepoint Tool Time on sale a few months back, and Volume Two was a gift last month from a friend.

I have not seen the third CD which is called "Backgrounds."  It probably is much like the first two, except they each have 300 stitches diagrammed and Backgrounds has 481 "repeat" patterns.
http://www.tistheseason.org/ptdproducts.php?catid=56

The two CDs I have are set up the same.  Stitches are arranged into folders.  You have Straight, Diagonal, Crossed and Tied, Eye, Decorative and Darning Pattern folders.  There is also an alphabetical listing of the stitches.  The stitches are in two formats: PDF files (which can be enlarged) and jpeg images.  You can print out either and you an embed the photos (jpegs) in stitch guides.  Ruth encourages stitch guide writers to use her diagrams but just asks for proper credit.

Many of the stitches are new to me although there are some old favorites in the two CDs I own.  I love browsing the stitches, although you do need to have a CD player (my computer does) to read them.  It doesn't matter whether you have a PC or a Mac computer, however.  Either can read the CD for you.

You can print out everything to have in a paper format if you like, but I just browse a CD when looking for a stitch, starting with the folder that sounds more like what I'm looking for.

I think this is a wonderful addition to any stitchers' set of stitch dictionaries.  The only caveat I can think of is that some folks may be uncomfortable working with PDF files or jpeg images but it really isn't hard to learn.

By the way, here is Needlepoint Tool Time's website.  They have great customer service and some very good sales.
http://www.needlepointtooltime.com/

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

Cheekbones for O'jishi

After finishing O'jishi's brass teeth and outlining all of them (except the upper right incisor so you can see the difference between the black outlines and dark brown outlines) I moved on to his cheekbones.  The interesting thing about this piece is that the two halves of the mask are not symmetrical.  You see this particularly in the cheekbones and eyes which are slightly higher on one side than the other.  Visually this works because most people don't have symmetrical faces either.  My face has one eye slightly higher and larger than the other and my nose isn't perfectly straight.  It's just how we are.

I choose to do roughly oval shapes that are divided evenly in the middle since the two areas are both 16 threads high.  Therefore, it was easy to start roughly in the middle and make sure the top half stitch was over eight threads and that the bottom half was over the same number of threads.  Then I worked from the middle to one side, then the other, making the thread height follow the painted shape.  Then I did small straight stitches under O'jishi's nose over to the other cheekbone. ( I have not touched the ovals under the cheekbones yet.  I thought oval Jessicas would work here but that did not look right so out they came.  I have another idea I'll try tonight on this area.)

I used two plies of Gloriana's overdyed floss Lacquered Gold #045, which is a lovely gold shading to brass silk.  The plies have to be laid to keep from twisting just like the background stitch had to be, but the lovely rust and brown and cream shading on the cheekbones shows through.

 I was a bit worried that the dividing line would be too prominent but it looks good to me.  I can see a twisted stitch on the left cheekbone that I didn't notice when stitching last night but I was very tired after shoveling the ice off half the driveway.   Thank goodness the sun melted it off most of the rest!

Later on the left cheekbone has bumps that will have to be added on top of this stitching but that will wait until the end.  Thankfully I have a color copy of the canvas so I'll know where they belong if the painted areas don't show up under the light coverage stitches.

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

Lazy Jane and the Purple Shoes

I didn't stitch a lick yesterday, despite being trapped at home by the snow.  I just was too tired from Christmas preparations, shoveling heavy wet snow, taking the dogs for walks, and running up and down the stairs to tend to the fire in the wood stove (we keep it going when there is danger--like heavy snow on the power lines--of losing the heat in cold weather).

You'll have to forgive me, but sometimes I just am not in the mood, despite being in love with the art of needlepoint and stitching almost every day.

I decided I'd distract you with some rarities.  First, the pair of witch slippers above are a charted design from Margaret Bendig.  You don't see many of her designs for sale.  She mostly teaches although occasionally she'll publish something like the line of small seasonal themed kimonos she did for Needlepoint Now magazine in 2008, or her Southwest Sampler (second link) in the same year.
http://www.needlepointnow.com/back_issues/2008/2008.html

http://www.needlepointnow.com/back_issues/2008/2008_01/2008_01.html

I keep hoping she'll get her website up and running, but it isn't yet.
http://www.margaretbendigdesigns.com/

Her Holiday Fun stocking is in the Project Book for ANG.
http://www.needlepoint.org/CPB/2009.php

Have fun looking at Margaret's work while I try to get my rear in gear....

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