Mixing and Matching Threads

Now that I have Luna's skin and face stitched (except for her hands), it is time to turn my attention to her figure.  The photo is the unstitched canvas cropped to show just Luna's figure.

My next task is to figure out what threads to use to stitch her and what order to do the stitching in.  As you know, I like to stitch the things that are in the background, then work forward.  That means I should start with her long gown, probably working from the bodice down to where it narrows and starts showing gray lines of the flare.  But what threads should I use?

I piled up all the colors I have that I'll need for her clothing and hair (black, gray and purple) and removed those that didn't look right together.  For example, a lovely skein of black Silk N Ivory revealed it had charcoal undertones when it was sitting next to all the solid blacks, so it goes back into the stash.  A spool of black Kreinik metallic had too much green sparkle in it so it was rejected, too.

This not particularly good photo shows that one of the grays at the bottom of the page looks slightly tan when put together with the other threads.  This is an essential step when choosing threads.  Color Magic happens when various threads are next to each other.  Some change colors like that gray skein did!

Once I discarded colors that wouldn't play nice with the others, I was left with a fairly good selection of blacks, some purples and quite a few grays.  The next step is choosing my stitches which will narrow down the thread selection further.  Some threads don't do long stitches well, some are going to be too fat for 18 count, etc.

Tomorrow I'll show you what I ended up with.

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

Too Dark?

I finished stitching all of Luna's face and arms last night down to the back of her hands where her fingers start.  However I decide to handle her fingers and long fingernails, stitching them has to wait until after her long gown is stitched.  I'll also wait to stitch her amethyst ring.

Although the shadows on the side of her face and neck are stitched as painted, they seem a little dark to me.  What do you think?

Jane, pondering pulling out those sections and going a shade lighter

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

Classes and Clubs

Lani's Santa Collage Stitched by Carolyn Hedge Baird for Chaparral

Time for another roundup of classes and clubs at some of our wonderful shops!

The photo above is a Lani Santa collage canvas which Carolyn Baird Hedge will teach at Chaparral starting in January.  This will be taught in sections and the class will end in August of 2011 so there will be plenty of time to make it up for Christmas next year.  I grabbed the photo from Chaparral's latest newsletter since it isn't on their project page yet.
http://www.ndlpt.com/html/kits.html

Nashville Needleworks has a darling Easter egg club starting in January.
http://nashvilleneedleworks.com/home.html

Needle House in Houston has a varied selection of previous clubs to choose from and they allow you to just buy the guide or just the canvas or the guide/thread kit.  Your choice!  (Click on the photos for a better look.)
http://www.theneedlehouse.com/jm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100&Itemid=101

Needlepoint in Paradise (that would be Naples, Florida) is starting a boot club and a star club for 2011.
http://www.needlepointinparadise.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,154/Itemid,28/vmcchk,1/

Several designers have series that you can stitch to make your own club.  This is more fun for folks with a big stash or who have a nice shop nearby to find threads at, but it is a good option for the adventuresome stitcher.  First up is The Nativity from Mile High Princess.
http://www.artistscollection.net/Artists_Collection/Nativity.html

Next is the Cajun Twelve Days of Christmas.  Since the book is a special favorite of my oldest friend, I can see stitching Two Voodoo Dolls in my future!  They also offer a cross series and a fleur de lis series for other tastes.  All are by Jude Designs, by the way.
http://stitchandframelafayette.com/Needlepoint_by_Category/Category/Monthly_Series_Sets.htm

Want something classic but different?  Jane Nichols' birdhouse ornaments are said to be fabulous when stitched.
http://www.janenicholsneedlepoint.com/Whats_New.html

Jane also does a Heart of the Month and a Chair of the Month series, where she takes a normal object and does lovely variations of it.
http://www.janenicholsneedlepoint.com/Of-The-Month.html

I have had Cheryl Schaeffer's Halloween lightbulb set recommended to me as a great do-it-yourself monthly club, perfect for using up those excess threads and having a great unusual set of ornaments for your next Halloween party.
http://www.cherylschaeffer.com/results.cfm?SubCategory=51

That's it for now.  Many thanks to my spies who clued me in about many of the above!

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

Perfect Skin

Last night it was time to start working on Luna herself since the background is almost done.  (The final touch there has to wait until the rest of the canvas is finished.)  When I stitch people, I like to start with their faces but for Luna, I started with her decollete, then worked on her right arm (our right, not hers), stopping at the wrist.  I'm not quite sure whether I will pad her fingers or use bullions there so I am thinking that over while I stitch away on skin.  I hope to finish her other arm, her neck and then her face tonight.  I'm doing basketweave for these areas and the most important thing is to keep my stitches very smooth and even.  That takes time and some concentration.  Those all basketweave pieces are harder than they look!

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

Moons I Have Loved

Luna's Finished Moon-Click to Enlarge

One reason I worked so hard on the moon in the background is that Amy Bunger does such a lovely job with them.  Check out the moon behind the werewolf in this Halloweenies character.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/09/dr-aculas-face.html

Here's another view of Herr Wolfe.  Doesn't this remind you of photographs of the cratered moon surface from NASA?
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/09/peek.html

Look at the moon rising behind the house the Halloweenies folk themselves are gathered at. It's full of personality with that evil grin.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-another-pretty-face.html

The first step in making that moon is an unusual one--Glitter Glue!
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/05/glitter-glue.html

Seeing wonderful work like this is dangerous.  You can be tempted to use a terrific technique you've seen that will completely overpower the area you are stitching.  That's why I've been struggling with Luna's moon.  I want to do fancy things to it and make it as great as Amy's moons are.  But I've finally accepted the fact that this is not appropriate for this canvas.

Remember the Bridezilla clip from yesterday?  I was in great danger of making the moon the star of the show.  Believe me, it was very difficult to admire Amy's moons, then walk away from stitching any more on my moon, leaving it simple.  But that is the right thing to do for this canvas.

By the way, yesterday's close up of the moon before I finished it does a better job of showing what this looks like in person.  The photo above shows the moon in context, which helps remind us all that the moon is in the background and should remain a secondary object.

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