Choosing a Border Part Two

I'm still dithering over a border for O'jishi.  I like the faux bamboo border but it isn't an overwhelming favorite for me or for Blog readers (see yesterday's comments) so I'm still testing ideas.  Above you see yesterday's which uses a variation of Staggered Diagonal Slanted Stitch (from page 21 of A Background Stitch Reference Book from the Golden Gate Canvas Workers Chapter of ANG).  This stitch is just three slanted long stitches over 5 threads.  The first set nestles against the background, then the second set drops down a thread.  Alternate the sets of three stitches (up and down) along the border, then fill in the empty area with tent stitches.  I thought I'd use four plies of my tan Mandarin floss from the background for the staggered slanted diagonals, then fill in the groups of tent stitches with the darker brown from the background, alternating with the milk chocolate/silver Kreinik metallic and some of the medium coral color.  I'll do a bit more today and we'll see what it looks like.

I'm afraid this isn't a home run either but we'll see.  I may have another idea today while shoveling snow or recovering from shoveling snow by browsing my stitch dictionaries....

By the way, thanks for all the input yesterday.  It helped clarify my ideas about the problems with the faux bamboo border and that I do need a touch of coral in the border.

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

Choosing a Border

I think O'jishi needs a border.  I wanted to add more of the hot coral reds to the canvas and thought a border would be a great way to do so.  Above you see my text stitches.  I thought I'd use a padded section of rectangles to echo the background stitch.  But it's too red and detracts from the main design.

Next I tried laying long lines of Kreinik metallic to be couched down with a darker metallic to look like faux bamboo.  I like it better.  The sample stitches are on the left side.  Below are two sides done.  What do you think?

I haven't quite made up my mind....

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

A Bit More About Whipped Backstitch Outlines

I've continued working whipped backstitches all around the perimeter of O'jishi's face.  Since I'm using one ply of my golden Gloriana silk for the backstitches and the whipped stitch, the result is a thin raised line.  I've included a huge image of as much of the design as I can get on my scanner bed without taking the canvas off the stretcher bars and have my fingers crossed you can see the effect around the outside of his face.

While I worked, I thought about whipped backstitch and have come up with some conclusions about how to work this stitch successfully on NP canvas.  First, so you don't have to go back through Blog to find it, here is a link explaining how backstitch (which is the foundation of whipped backstitch) is done.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/10/embroidery-stitch-video-tutorial_24.html

Now, also from Mary Corbet's site, is whipped backstitch.  Her stitch tutorials have both a short video demonstration and a written explanation, by the way.  I think they are terrific!
http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/11/whipped-backstitch-video-tutorial.html

These are embroidery stitches, normally done on something like linen or Aida fabric.  When you stitch on NP canvas, especially on top of other stitches, you have to adjust the stitch technique slightly.  It is important to make the backstitches the same length, which is difficult on NP canvas, especially following curves like the outline of the mask face.  I tried to always make each backstitch four holes long, coming up in one hole, skipping the next hole, and going down in the third one.  Sometimes I had to cover four holes, however.  Or two.  You will have to compensate backstitches and whipped backstitches.  I just did the best I could.

I did think about using a sharp needle to make my backstitches more even when the available length was longer/shorter than the norm, but finally decided there wasn't enough compensation to make this necessary.  If you try this on your canvas, you may decide differently.

When you are ready to whip the backstitches foundation, it helps NOT to have a sharp needle.  It is going to be difficult to avoid catching some of the background threads as you work, and a sharp needle makes it easier to split stitches which you do not want to do.  Occasionally, I whipped with the needle eye instead of the tip but generally I found it easier to slide my needle's tip under the backstitch I was going to whip over.

Whip always in the same direction (I worked from right toward the left when inserting the needle) and when you get to a longer than usual backstitch, you might need to make two whips instead of one.

I hope these tips help anyone who tries whipped backstitch on a needlepoint canvas.

I plan to shovel more snow (I need to clear the porch if at all possible today) and also finish the whipped backstitches around O'jishi's eyes, nose and forehead.  After that, I need to see what finishing touches the canvas calls for.  Border stitch, anyone?

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

Beaded Warts

I've actually gotten some stitching done between snow shoveling sessions and trips to the basement to feed the wood stove.  (Not to mention trips to the kitchen to feed the family!)  I've gotten all the beads attached to the O'jishi mask.  I wish you could see them in person.  They look terrific!

I used gold/copper hex beads from Mill Hill's Magnifica line (#10012) in the bulk of the warts, but I did mix in a few Toho 11/0 silver lined gold hex beads (#1955-008) for warts that were painted white instead of old and for dots here and there on his nose that were tiny warts without a metallic bead cup to sit in.  The Toho beads look yellow, especially on top of the gold silk.  Mixing the two colors of beads on the canvas adds a bit of extra interest and allows me to follow the shading of the painted bumps.

In a few places I put two beads inside a bead cup stitch for the larger warts.  I hope you can see in the photograph how I mixed the two colors, used beads without a bead cup, and added two beads in some places to vary the warts.

I need to work on backstitching a lot today between shoveling sessions.  And I am seriously tempted to make a pan of fudge and eat the whole thing after all that physical activity shoveling snow!

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

What's A Threadaholic To Do?

I am pretty much stuck at home under 18-24 inches of snow, depending on where I measure.  Some of us love snow!  We eat it, we lay in it, we run around like a maniac in it.

But some of us don't!  (Especially when it is still falling.  The white streaks above are snowflakes coming down hard.)  I'm one of the latter group.  So what's a threadaholic to do when they are stuck at home four days before Christmas?  Why, do Internet shopping, of course!

Fireside Stitchery sent an email this morning reminding me of their yearly clubs which are about to start up again.  My favorite is their unique Thread Collectors Club.  Have a thread you adore that you can't get locally?  For a monthly fee, have a selection of colors sent to your door. You collect your favorite brand at a discount a month at a time.  Here are all the thread brands they offer this way.
http://www.firesidestitchery.com/fs/clubs/index.cfm?fuseaction=getClubList&CategoryId=2&showStart=1&groupNo=1

Nordic Needle also emailed me this morning.  Their weekly newsletter has specials, including a pages and pages of threads on sale.  There is a lot of Kreinik metallics available, mostly in Cord and the larger 12, 16 and 24 sizes, and they have selected colors of Silk Mori and Silk Serica also on sale.  Check out the selection here.
http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NN&Offset=0&Category_Code=L06-00-00&ph=&pl=&CpField=&CpValue=&show=&SortBy=&Search=

If you are more interested in monthly canvas clubs, how about the feathers and fur group, the nature set, or the Getting Ready for Christmas club What's the Point offers?  Click on the photo of the stitched example to see the entire set.  By the way, if you are a Buckeye fan, click on the Buckeye Corner link on the left side of the page to see Ohio-specific canvases.
http://www.whatsthepoint.biz/clubs.php

That ought to keep us busy until all the snow melts!

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