Yin and Yang aka Bright and Dark

The first thing I should say is that the photograph does not do justice to this canvas. Sometimes my pictures are wonderful, other times....not so much. I need a class in this too I suppose. I know my camera is quality and not the problem.

This is my first SharonG endeavor. Have you ever stitched a SharonG painted canvas? They are among the very best I've seen for stitch painting. I could not have been more pleased. None of this, should I put this stitch here or does it go there; this was perfectly painted making it easy for me. In addition, Sharon's stitch guide was most comprehensive including large and easy to read diagrams. Her instructions were thorough and easily understood.  Well done Sharon, thank you. Before I proceed, further I want to mention that any inaccuracies in the stitching or changes made were strictly of my own doing-whether intentional or not. lol

As for stitches, many were "layered" or composites of several stitches used together. This is the only way I know how to explain it. It looks complicated but in the end isn't because you do each "layer" in steps. I loved the Windowpane Scotch variation 2 in the black areas and especially enjoyed the Laid Bamboo border. It is fabulous for a border application; you use lots of 1/16" ribbon because each row has two lengths of ribbon in one hole, sort of padding the stitch when it is couched down. I liked it and will use it again.

New threads for me were the Kreinik Japan thread. This stuff is so neat, it's construction looks like it is regular thread covered in a slick and shiny coat. It behaves somewhat like very fine cord, stiff yet flexible; here it was used for the outline of the dragonfly. The metallic looking colors are exceptionally effective. I believe this Japan thread is relatively new; I know I hadn't heard of it until this piece and I can see it being very useful in future projects. I don't recall ever using Gloriana Silk Floss previously and while I love Gloriana's wool threads, I didn't like the silk floss, perhaps that was because you only used a single strand and it seems to become too soft and didn't hold it's shape. Again I think using only one strand might have been the problem.

So there it is, overall and in general I thought this an enchanting project and I hope the recipient likes it. I have a few things to fix and neaten up and then I'll consider my options for finishing this one. As always, many thanks for stopping by today.

Hinting around

I think I might be giving you waaaaaaaay too many hints about my cyberspace mystery project, but that's my crime-lock me up (she said extending both wrists). The photo at right is the Fan Vaulting stitch using a Lorikeet wool nine-ply. Three plies are used in this application. I decided to do something different when stripping (aka, pulling apart) this thread. I stripped the entire "skein" of Lorikeet, divided into three strands each, knotted the end and voila! All ready to start stitching without having to stop and strip threads. Is this what you normally do? I usually strip as I go, so to speak.  The photo on the left uses a single strand of Gloriana Duchess Silk stitched in Staggered Cross Variation. Both of these stitches are highly textural and are brilliant choices for these particular applications.

 The designer noted that because Lorikeet is slightly felted due to the dying process it was easier to strip by pulling one strand down several inches and then straighting out the thread that pulled up in the stripping process. When I begin to strip thread, I tap the end splaying out the plies, making it easier to grab a ply. Then I begin to slowly pull the stripped ply several inches away from the main strand and straighten the thread; pull another several inches, straighten repeating this process of pulling and straightening until the stripped ply is easily removed.

I know you probably know how to strip threads but it gave me something to do while avoiding housework. Have a happy day and great weekend! See you soon.