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Looking back on the blog posts here, I see that I've been playing with this thing since December 24! I'm still playing, but it's beginning to be interesting now. An experiment, it is - but I'm learning the variables of working with the Kreinik on it as I embellish. Be sure to go to Freebies, etc. to see the new metallic "Hot Wire" that Kreinik now has - a new thing. I found it just when I needed it for embellishment trials here. Anyway - back to the decorating. For the lower swag, I used #12 Holographic 002, and it's quite showy in the "heavy chain" I found at PINTANGLE in Sharon B's stitch dictionary. Incidentally, I don't remember if I've shown this picture before or not - the arrows are pointing to my mistakes in not stitch counting symmetrically on these two swags. They are supposed to look horizontal when the tree is made into a cone, but they should have been perfectly centered - like the bottom. So far, I've hidden this effect with a generic sillk ribbon flower.
Also, I was able, since stitch drawing that bottom swag symmetrically, I was able to do the chain stitch without tent stitching the line first - much easier, and of course less time consuming.I realize I seem to be jumping around a bit here, but this is how I've developed it so far - just a little at a time to try out special effects. The Feather Stitch put down first makes a great background - pretty but understated - for whatever decides to come next. This, too, is on Pintangle in the Stitch Dictionary.
I made this bottom shot with a bit of sunlight on it, as it was suppose to show the Holographic heavy chain - it's beautiful in person. The Feather Stitches Kreinik 002 #4 braid) were deliberately made to be irregular, but basically as perpindicular as possible to the chain so that they will be positioned correctly when the tree is made into a cone. Recently, I saw somewhere a charming little ornament frame made with twisted DMC Memory Thread - so had to try it with the Kreinik metallic. It was more difficult to twist, due to the texture of the metallic covering, but I did find a splendid use for it - little candly canes! Here is a picture of a short length of it twisted as cording - you can see this on the other blog, as well as a candy cane (peppermint) made of three cords.
This is how it looks at the top now - I'll let it rest for a day or two.
I don't do counted things, myself, but thoroughly enjoy watching others who do it well!Two of my favorite designers, who do other things, are now stitching the same piece at the same time (a pattern designed by Ro Pace) on their blogs, but using different color schemes. This is always interesting to see, as color differences change the way it looks, even tho' stitched the same. Also, I'm intrigued by the number of Kreinik metallics used - and the way they are used. I see ribbon here, as well as braid.Be sure to visit Thread Medley (Jan Fitzpatrick) and Lizart (Liz Morrow) in the very beginning - today!
The angel with calla lilies has been very enjoyable, due to the bright colors - she's so cheerful! The lilies are conventionalized, as they are in Mexican art, and rather flat looking, so I jazzed them up a bit by using Kreinik #032 blending filament with #3865 white in basketweave. I like this white better than the "blanc," which is great for many things, but would be too glaring for this piece. I also felt that due to the lilies' being flat, the background should be textured a bit. Normally I don't do this, but in this case it worked! Nobuko was used, and I'm pleased with the way it fills the area - which was, of course, first bordered by outlining with the burgundy to keep the edges neat. 
For the headband, neck trim, and earrings, I used Kreinik metallic 1/16" ribbon in 001Vintage silver. I chose using the ribbon instead of braid, as, due to the construction, the ribbon lies flatter and has a beautiful sheen - especially on the "bump" stitch that makes the earrings. The hair is worked with satin stitches and DMC floss in 4 plies. The turquoise insets are RG Frosty Rays YO34. I would have preferred using the petite FR, but this is what was in my stash already, and the color is perfect. Next, showing another idea that popped into my head yesterday. I had to make a quick sketch on crumpled tracing ipaper - but it serves.
I decided to do one with a fat braid on top of her head, and a flower on the side. The next step was to put the tracing under a piece of scrap canvas and play with stitch drawing it so that it works and will stitch properly. I have no idea at this point what she'll be wearing.
The colored Sharpie drawing pens are great at this point! This is a project for another day - hopefully by Monday! Meanwhile, several people have asked what I'll do with these angels.I have mentioned "stand-ups" several times, and by this, I mean a flat, padded, shaped piece with an easel on the back. I want people to see that angels in needlepoint have other uses besides just hanging on a Christmas tree, and as they are guardians, after all, they need to be visible all year..
This is the back of a Celtic cross I did a number of years ago. Vikki Pinson did the finishing, and, as always, did a remarkable job. It is flat, lightly padded, and backed with moire'. There is also a cord attached for eventual hanging on a wall, if desired. Vikki only needs about two threads of background stitched around these shapes, as she does all of the stitching by hand - no glue at all - so is able to curve it neatly and well where necessary. 
On this cross, I didn't yet know about using fewer rows of background, so added too much. Oh well.
This was originally planned to be "three faces," considering the plain, the High Luster, and the new Holographic, but upon assembling the spools on my work table, I realized that the faces of the 002 have many more visual properties than just the three! In this first photo, I'm showing the #12 braid and the 1/16" ribbon, which are the two I use most. From left to right, HL, Vintage, and plain. Each has it's own visual qualities and great for achieving different effects!Then comes the new Holographic!! The picture is showing the blending filament on the left, the 1/16" ribbon in the center, and the #12 braid on the right. The braid isn't pretty as it looks on the spool, but unwound, it is absolutely beautiful, and has a quality and dimension that's quite different from the other "faces" of 002. 
I found this true also of the 002V several years ago when I had a spool in my stash, and didn't care for it - then I tried it, and have been a great fan ever since, and use more of it than any of the others. This is what they look like on my work table - but one should use them judiciously, and not try to cram too many different ones onto one small piece, as this is "overkill" and ruins the overall effect of a design. Gaining some experience in working with each will give you an idea of what you want to use where. It's good to have choices!! Once again - consider that all of these are the 002 in different forms and finishes.!! 
Next, check out how beautifully the Holographic colors work with the Memory Thread (Color Infusions).
When this metallic first "came out," I was gratified to see that two reds were included - both the "Christmas" red, and the darker one I like to use for different dramatic effects. These too are available in ribbon, braid (all 4 sizes), and blending filament. There are two pinks also, but the darker one - what I call "fuschia" or "hot pink" doesn't blend well with the Memory Thread, so it went back to its box. The "chartreuse" green is one of my very favorites - and see how nicely it blends with the M.T.! The orange will be wonderful with other M.T. for fallish looking things, as there are, in that line, soft browns, tan, olive green, etc. Lots of possibilities for new designs! To see a really really beautiful and appropriate use of the Holographic metallic, go see Liz Morrow's gorgeous new bargello piece! In this case, the work shows the intrinsic qualities of the thread as it enhances the design - works well together!
This picture looks a lot better on Liz's blog than it does on mine. She also showed, in earlier posts, the ribbons in progress.I forgot to mention that the Holographic braid is much much softer than the High Luster version of the Kreinik metallics. As much as I like the HL versions, they are a bit stiff.
I had such a lovely time playing in the coral reefs on my computer screen when I was creating the ornaments, that I really had no intention of doing anything commercial with them - hoping via my Needlepoint Now article this issue to motivate people to just try it on their own. However, I've had an enormous and unexpected response from these, requests from individuals and shops alike - so went ahead and wrote up the detailed and complete instructions for three of them (Whew! not my favorite thing to do), and have this offered as a downloadable E-Pattern. They are also available in a trio set drawn onto the canvas with the water and sand painted - same set of instructions, and still a lot of room for personal creativity. You can see these on Elegant Whimsies, my web page.. The ornament with the DMC Memory Thread and Kreinik Holographic metallic ribbon (inspired by Sharon B's "cloud filling" on her TAST stitch last week on Pin Tangle) is also finished, as it didn't take very long to do. It's a simple thing with few threads. I used YLI Ribbon Floss for the white background, as I like using it with long stitches too, as it looks like two different white fibers! 
This ornament certainly glitters, and will show up well against the dark green of a fir Christmas tree. I refused for many many years to design Christmas ornaments, as we had nothing to make them sparkle - now we have an abundance. I prefer this sort of thing to pictorial ornaments, as they show up better, I think, in their bright and shining simplicity.There is also simplicity in the expense of the project! It only required two spools of Kreinik metallic ribbon (red and gold), DMC Memory Thread one spool, and YLI white Ribbon Floss - one spool.
This one started as a sketch on a scanned copy of the ornament before I started stitching it. I find it the easiest way to figure out some of these things. One thing I know is that I should have drawn the entire ornament on an even count instead of odd - that is, an even number of stitches wide, which is determined by how I start at the top. It would have made these Memory Thread motifs fit better on top of the stitching, as I had to work in the spaces between stitches and not on the stitch itself..Anyway, the fact that it isn't perfect is fine - it just shows that it was made by hand and not by a machine.
For this one, the little top stitches with the Kreinik Holographic ribbon were made horizontally instead of vertically, as in the cloud filling. In the study of Fine Arts in the studio, one learns to never force a medium to do something not inherent in its' nature, but to use it to best advantage, for its own qualities and to convey an effect desired by the artist. Using needlepoint threads falls into this category, and I'm tempted, myself, to try to force the Memory thread to do things for which it really isn't suited, just because it's fun for playing. On this ornament, I've used it to achieve a wonderful effect I couldn't possibly get with anything else - it's raised above the surface of the stitching, and is simple and smooth - and was easily manipulated, once I figured out how to handle it most effectively. The color is also very nice for this ornament. 
As for the Kreinik Holographic Ribbon - WOW! The best way I can describe it is that it has a refractory quality rather than reflective. That is, it appears that the light of the spectrum is broken up by the surface rather than the gleam/sparkle/shine/glitter that one usually sees on a metallic thread - Kreinik included. It's an amazing look, and I wanted to use it in such a way that it shows this quality. I'm using the 1/16" ribbon for the horizontal bands, and also for the round "button" thing at the bottom. This may have to be removed, as I'm not sure I like it - it's very very bright, but I'll put it away in a drawer for a day or two - and then finish the other areas and see what I think. 
I may do the same thing, but use the braid instead of the ribbon, as braid doesn't lie flat, and has a delightful "spun" texture on the surface.The Holographic braid didn't excite me when seen on the spool, but when I threaded my needle with a strand - it came to life, and is really beautiful. I'm waiting for the #12 braid to arrive, as the #8 is small, and would take forever for this stitch - and probably not be as effective.It's the same stitch I made up for the sea urchin - the raised spider web on 8 spokes, but going counter clock-wise back over two and forward under one. A rather interesting effect.
ADDENDUM: I forgot to mention that I used DMC floss and Kreinik Holographic Blending Filament on the red knob at the bottom of the ornament. The BF has the same qualities as the ribbon and the braid.
It's amazing how a canvas design will come to life when the stitching begins! Even if I had painted the canvas first, the threads would liven it a lot. Threads are just so much prettier than bare painted canvas, as the textures are what make the piece, as well as the colors. I think this is the main reason I'm not fond of the "light coverage" thing - I feel like "why bother to stitch it at all?" However, in the opposite direction, I see entirely too many different threads, sometimes, used on one small piece, for no apparent reason. There should be a purpose for each thread chosen, so that the stitched design works as a whole and not just as a collection of different textures, which can become an eye shattering mess. Petite Very Velvet may seem a strange fiber to use on a creature which lives in the water - but in this case, I wanted a coloful background for the sparkling, shiny, and gleaming accents on the fish. Then there is the fact that, worked in basketweave, the PVV has almost no texture or light refraction, so just looks like a smooth, soft area. My first thought had been to use the DMC Satin Floss for it's shine - but realized that it would be so shiny and have so much "light break-up" on the surface, that it would detract from the "jewels" and other design features. I will use the Satin Floss in another place - but more logical than the background "skin" of the fish. The jewels are worked in a "bump stitch" I enjoy using, and with Rainbow Gallery Flair, as I didn't want a lot of sparkle here either to compete with the metallic braid of the chain. The Flair has just enough sheen to look right. Usually, I go about choosing the threads for a canvas with something in mind first, but then upon dumping out the various categories of stash threads, I will spot something better than what I had originally intended. More on this later, as I move along with the fish and begin on a shell.
While going through my rather enormous stash of Kreinik metallics this morning - looking for something I can't find, of course - I was once again amazed at the variety of sizes, colors, finishes, and uses of this miraculous and wonderful thread. As I've said before, I refused to do anything "'Christmas" for many years, due to the fact that there was nothing to stitch with that would make them sparkle and glitter. These days, almost everything I do has some kind of Kreinik metallic on it, as it is so very very versatile for embellishments and special effects. However, watching blog stitchers from time to time, and talking to local stitchers, there seems to be confusion about what weight braid to use on which size canvas. Just the braid itself ranges in size from 4 to 32. (increases in increments of four ) Once again - COMMON SENSE!! If it doesn't fit the canvas properly, try another size. Normally, #16 braid fits 13 mesh canvas beautifully for tent stitches - but is skimpy for upright. #12 braid is for 18 mesh canvas in tent stitches and long, slanted stitches, but won't cover well for upright stitches - so one must simply use #16 braid. (Now that "ribbon" has been invented, I love it for the long, slanted stitches, and also for upright stitches, as it lies so flat on the canvas.) 
Upright stitches are like bargello - and remember that we always increase the size of the thread for this, as we used 2 plies of Persian wool long ago on 14 mesh, but increased to all three plies for bargello and other upright stitches.When I stitched the ornament, the ribbon was a new product, and it gave us a whole new dimension for stitching with metallics - I initially thought the 1/16" would work for 18, and the 1/8" for 13 - but actually, the 1/16" works quite well for both upright and tent stitches on 18 mesh canvas, which gives it a great versatility, as the same spool may be used within one piece instead of having to switch to the braid in same color. It's quite flexible in texture. Here, the gold is ribbon, but I didn't have it yet in the teal, so used braid - #16, of course - and you can see how much flatter the ribbon lies - Also on the leaves around the center flower. The ribbon also eliminates a lot of the "dandruff" that is a problem (canvas showing through) with upright stitches.
The leaves on the Henry mini-sock were also stitched with #16 braid - pre ribbon - and you can see that they don't lie smoothly. However, at that time, there was no metallic ribbon, so I didn't know the difference!
The diagonal piece was designed and stitched after I started using ribbon, and the leaves - although the braid would have worked on the slanted stitches, are beautiful and flat with the metallic ribbon. This is my favorite green - #015 Chartreuse. Notice also how nice and flat the little mosaic stitches are as leaves for the red flowers - the mosaic stitches are outlined in tent stitches with a darker green #12 braid. The gold, which works so beautifully with Petite Very Velvet and beads, is the 002V. I used #12 braid for this, as the Smyrna crosses and the tent stitches around the bead strand didn't really require ribbon - nor did the long armed cross stitch border. However, ribbon would have worked if that had been all at hand! More on this later. The Kreink metallics aren't just about braid - they begin with blending filament and go through many many sizes of braid and ribbon, and also "cord," cable, and Japan thread, which have different looks and uses. Stay tuned - we also have the new one - the "Holographics," which should be great fun.
ADDENDUM: I swore today that after a long week painting, and another yet to come, I would rest a bit and not think about work or new projects - but couldn't leave this one alone, as it's too fine not to think about! Sooo I got out the box and took pictures and played a bit. The first photo is the new Kreinik Holographic blending filament - some wild and fun looking stuff!
The second one is a few of the colors, illustrating the variety of "finishes" and looks just within one grouping of metallic threads - rather incredible. The arrows are pointing to the braid, and the really shiny stuff is the BF, and the other is 1/16" ribbon.Normally I only use the #8 braid for surface embellishment, as it's too fine for tent stitching and outlining on 18 mesh canvas. However, I've had some "special effects" and embellishments in the back of my mind for quite some time, and this is what I need to accomplish it. Now I'll have to paint really fast this week and reward myself with some play time. Oh joy!!
Looking back on the blog posts here, I see that I've been playing with this thing since December 24! I'm still playing, but it's beginning to be interesting now. 
