Fan on Black....

by Jinice is finished. Last post I completely forgot about the braid and tassels located on the bottom of the fan. Jinice devised an effective way to make 6 strands of floss and one strand of gold metallic to look like braid. Quite clever; luckily I had red cord and wrapped gold Krenik braid around it and couched it all down. The tassels are made out of the left over red floss with bead embellishment. The application of the braid and creation of the tassels actually took me several hours; it is relatively delicate work and my fingers are clumsy at best. But I am pleased with the effort.

I frogged the entire plaid type area on the right side and took more care with laying the threads and placing the stitches. I am so much happier with the outcome and have no regrets about the redo.

The gorgeous turquoise border around the whole piece was stitched in Silk & Ivory and I actually think S & I was a better choice than the suggested Medici (S & I was not on the market at the time this design was created). It worked up like a dream and was stitched over 18! I eyeballed it in the picture and thought it was about over 10, but as it turned out it was stitched over nearly twice that. I really like it and the texture and semi-sheen really add to the piece.  The Fan will be framed and I am thinking either silver leaf, gold leaf or black high gloss enamel. I haven't been to the framers so there's really no telling what I will ultimately choose.

Thanks for following along on this one. I hope I can find more Jinice designs that are still out there; I don't think I've stitched anything that flowed quite as smoothly as the Fan. There was just the right variety of thread and stitches to keep interest peaked.

Now back to the Red Kerchief.

Japanese Fan cont.

Once completing the small frame of stitching (one row of #16 Kreinik braid tent on either side of 1 row of Watercolor slanted over two) around the fan it was time to begin the lattice background.  Jinice's instructions were very good allowing for easy and methodical counting. The lattice work is done in #8 Kreinik braid in black HL (high luster) which connects well with the sheen of the bugle beads. In the photograph the beads appear to be black but they are actually black iris which is more or less an iridescent black.

The beads are sewn on with medium blue floss, two strands, and while unlike any other area of this canvas the blue thread runs across the back of the canvas barely showing through the unstitched background. This technique has toned down the stark black background, softening the relation between the brightness of the fan and the depth of the black canvas. I used Mill Hill bugles for this and ran short by about 1/2 package. (No I didn't drop them on the floor as suggested by DH.)

The final piecepart of this design is to stitch the outside frame using long (over 10) straight stitches in stranded wool, mitering the corners. Medici was prescribed, however despite recently reading that Medici is once again available, my LNS suggested using Silk & Ivory in a peacock blue. If this doesn't work out, I will go with a similar shade of Burmilana.

Once I finish all couching left undone to provide for the beading, I will "clean up" the stitched areas and then off to the framers. Yippee!

Thank you for taking your good stitching time to visit today!

I hope you don't

have anything pressing to do today. It just so happens that I've found a few more amazing blogmeisters to add to your daily dose of inspiration. Hope you'll consider these must reads, if not, must follows. I am amazed I have any time to stitch at all. Oh how I wish I could stitch and blog at the same time, any suggestions? Enjoy!


Plays with Needles
Sew in Love
Threads Across the Web
Needlepoint Study Hall
A Needlepoint Blog

Progress report

It's Superbowl Sunday and I think I'll have plenty of time to stitch today if I opt not to linger on the computer, that is.  This week I've been working on Fan on Black by Jinice. A project I've wanted to do for a very long time, I've now discovered I am not as enamored with it as I once was. Make no mistake, the design is wonderful, the stitches have been fun and a good lesson in couching. No, I think it might be the red orange and flesh tone hues in the color palette that are not working for me. I may be rushing to judgment however since there is still quite a bit of work to be done.

     For instance the background is quite busy and should tone down the dominating black canvas with the lattice effect using braid, floss and bugle beads. There is a border that squares off the fan; the beginning can be seen in the picture on the right. There is one row of tent in red braid, then slanted gobelin over three in Forest Fire Watercolors (seen in the center part of the fan) followed by another row of red braid. And finally a large mitered border in a deep blue frames everything.
     In all honesty, this is not my best work. I think I'll end up taking out/fixing some of the couching for starters. The silver braid is couched in Accentuate (my bright idea) and I have clearly tightened down too much on the stitches; notice the scrolly areas on the left, especially around the red braid filled area. There are two rows of braid outline and one practically disappears because of my tight couching distorting the smooth flow of the outlining. I will take this out and couch with light grey floss instead and see if that helps.
     Also, on the right side, the Woven Plaid area is not as perfectly straight as it should be. This section uses braid, Patina, and two colors of Neon Rays tacked down with a fine gold metallic. The ribbon didn't lay as nicely as I would have liked and it seemed that where it was wound on the edges of the card, it split apart a bit. I used my laying tool but I wasn't as meticulous as I could have been on this section. I MAY end up taking it out.

      Even though I've pointed out my own imperfections, it is no reflection on the overall design and appeal of this piece. I especially liked the stitch variety, the use of beads in combination with stitches and the varying textures in the design. I would stitch this again and maybe next time try a pastel color palette.  So while listening to the game I'll finish one row of the red braid border and then work on the beaded background. As always, any comments or tips are most welcome. Hope you're having a great day today and that you're safely tucked inside, preferrably stitching, if you happen to be in the area of that huge east coast storm. It's snowing here in the Denver area today, but nothing like what's falling back east. Thanks for stopping in today.

Red Kerchief, Pink Walnuts and the Fan

I just can't be disciplined. I try and just when I think I'm doing great, my true self emerges. Alas, I've put down Kerchief, just to take a little break. A break?....from what? I love this project, am having fun and it's working up quickly. What more can one ask for? Variety? Oh yes, variety, as in, I want to dig in and start something new. There I was nearly finished and now I am on the verge of sabotaging my best laid plans. Probably just a deep seated inner-child rebellion (remember that from the 70's? LOL!). Oh inner-child be off with you and take your new canvases, threads and stitch guides with you! Lest I fall prey to your capricious project philandering. Those words of banishment did not work and this post is turning into a Peyton Place of project infidelity, stitching transgressions and yes, uncontrolled impulse.

But not before I share with you my progress on the Kerchief foreground canvas. Of the six door panels, the top four will be cut away (yikes! with my scissors?--not without surpervision) to expose Camille. A small area remains on the left part of the door jamb and then I'll fill in the two lower door panels, the stitching around the inside of the windows - then cutting away of the window canvas, some clean up here and there and finally attaching the lace curtains. Brillant! The threads have been delightful to stitch with throughout the entire project and include a variety from DMC, Walsh/Silk Wool, Simply Shaker Overdye, Threadworx, and Bijoux. I've enjoyed the variety of stitches too which include Long Armed Cross, Linen Fold, Perspective Gobelin, Padded Diagonal, Trailing, Outline and Binding to name a few. I'll keep you posted on the number of stitching hours logged when I'm finished.

Bless me Father for I have strayed.....and the first stitching transgression came in the form of a pink walnut. I don't want to say too much about this just yet other than it is an old art form and I think you'll be surprised when you see the finished piece.

It has been a nice departure from my beloved canvaswork though. Just for a few hours mind you (yeah right). I'll have more on this little gem in a later post, just wanted you to see what I've been up to while on my Kerchief hiatus.

My husband has been out of town for a few weeks- isn't that always the way it starts? No one around to supervise stitching progress, leaving the door wide open for that interloping new project to wheedle its way in. Then without having to make the bed (don't worry I'm not a total slouch, I pull the covers up over the pillows--good enough) and very little cooking happening,  there was plenty of time left to stitch into the wee hours and think/focus/obsess about the next project, I mean once the Kerchief is at the framers, that is.

The Fan on Black wins. Eventually I thought, what can it hurt to flirt with a new project? It's not exactly an act of infidelity, per se. So I pulled the threads, kitted the thing up then conveniently left it next to the bedroom stitching throne. Before I knew it, I had it on the stretchers, threw a needle magnet on it and away I went. And look at the progress, nothing like "new" to arouse your needle and rejuvenate your thread. Excuse me. After a twelve hour frenzy I finished about 3/4 of what the photo shows.

This is one of the bargains I found at our Chapter yard sale in November - only 10 bones! Thank you Cynthia. It uses beautiful and fun threads that have been a dream to stitch. Using Flair, beads, braid, more beads, silk, beads, Watercolors and beads.

Since I began this post days ago, I've completed the upper right section and the small area to the lower left. Leaving the outlining, background and framing. I didn't find working on the black canvas difficult at all. Again, I'll discuss it further once it's ready for the framer, which could be sooner than later. But for now I'm calling a halt to this fickle trend of project hopping. I've had my fun. I'm ready to finish these up and cross them off the list, visit my priest and walk the straight and narrow down the fidelity path of loyalty, singlemindedness and trustworthy.....nevermind.