Design Inspiration - More from the Past

I don't have a picture of the finished canvas for this one, but burst out laughing when I found it in the ancient file folder in the Jurassic layer in my filing cabinet.

Needlepoint is a great way to create a gift for someone we care about - (a great excuse for stitching), and something personal makes it even better. Much more caring is demonstrated than in just doing another carbon copy of what many others have done.

I remember while working on this, smiling to think how pleased and touched she would be. It was for the owner of a LNS now closed for several years - lots of fun we had there! Anyway, I found this picture in some kind of catalog, and immediately an idea came - as she was usually stating that she needed all the help she could get with both running the shop and her personal life. It just suited her personality.

This is the sort of thing you can do also, as now there are computers and copy machines and all kinds of devices to re-size and manipulate drawings. With this one, I re-arranged the lettering, (changed it also) and resized and redrew the little figure. It's a rough sketch that I smoothed out and traced onto the canvas when the whole thing was ready.

I dressed her in a typical dress she wore - it was dusty rose with a white knit shirt, and she wore a headband - I even reproduced the hair-do. Yes, ladies - if anyone from Austin sees it, it's Johnie Swenson about 12 years ago. A Good Point! in Tarrytown. It's just a little figure, but easily recognizable to those who know her. She loved frogs - so there had to be a frog along with it. I think I found this one on a greeting card - traced it, and reduced it waaaay down in size.

These pictures are all out of proportion to the way they were used on the finished canvas - but you get the idea! The whole thing was about 8" x 10" - she stitched it and had it made into a hanging plaque for the wall.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas you might start watching for in planning gifts to stitch. Something unique and personal is always well recieved!

More Color on the Nauticals!

At this point, the fish and the scallop shell are such fantasy, it's hard to remember that they started out as tracings from pictures of the actual things. As I said, the idea came to me several years ago when I realized that some antique jewelry pieces I saw in a magazine were in the shape of the real-life creatures, but embellished with glittering jewels.

This shell, for some reason, required these soft, pastel colors. I had something entirely different in my head when I first started - but like the softness of this. Originally, I intended to use "coral" or "peridots" on the peach band - but they were too bright and distracting.

Having two such differently colored canvases to work on is pleasant - when I get tired of the gaudy, glittering fish, I can switch to the scallop shell. The tail is worked with Petite Frosty Rays in a slanted stitch of 3 x 3 threads. I used the Frosty Rays effect instead of Flair, as I wanted the puffiness, and also the little bit of glitter of the inner filament. Hopefully it gives the effect of baguette garnets.

More tomorrow - or maybe something else more interesting. One never knows!! I should be painting, but would rather do this as creative avoidance for a little longer.

Coloring the Scallop Shell/Jeweling the Fish

As I state every time I start a new piece, it never adheres to the original plan. I'm liking the way the shell looks at this point, but the "pearls" will be in a different place, and the color I was going to use for a secondary "jewel" has changed. An interesting process!!

Anyway, this is how it looks now. I've used soft, muted colors in Petite Very Velvet to better show up the pearls and other jewels I intend to place. (the colored ones across the peach band).

Also, another possibility for threads would be to use perle cotton for the stronger stripes on the shell, for the "pebbly" texture, and Satin Floss for the less dominant ones - for the shine against the perle cotton. There are lots and lots of combinations of threads that could be used - as well as colors.

The fish is really coming to life and fun to work on with the addition of the colors. I used the same Flair on the dorsal fin that was used to make the "jewels" - but in basketweave, as it represents the enamel on the original piece of jewelry. Again, Petite Very Velvet is the background thread, as it shows almost no stitch texture, but only a soft, solid background that shows up the shiny stuff best.

Incidentally, this fish is a salt water Angel fish, which illustrates what one can do with tracings of actual fish! The band on the face is stitched with DMC Satin Floss in dark navy that looks black. I don't like using black on needlepoint unless it's something necessary, like Zebra stripes, as it's too harsh looking. Even on my Talavera designs, the outlining is done in dark navy - not black as on the ceramics. The blue "sapphire" eye is made with Renaissance Shimmer.

Now it's time to go prop my feet up and stitch for a while. Maybe the tail next, for which I've chosen a burgundy Petite Frosty Rays (Rainbow Gallery), as that's what was on the original brooch that inspired this design. I believe they were baguette garnets.

The Fleur-de-Lys (or my distant past)

I was looking in old files this morning, searching for something - can't remember what at this point, but obviously didn't find it. Oh well. What I did find were some amazing things I had totally forgotten about - mostly done before I even had a color copier for reproduction. These finds are exceeded only by the charted martini glass I used to paint for people, which I found a few months ago in the "Religious" file folder. Figure that one.

Anyway, the first thing that fell out of a file unexpectedly, was this little canvas with two Fleurs-de-lys, which I had drawn in preparation for putting onto a tiny vest for a Beanie Baby about 12 years ago for an auction by the alum group of my college Greek letter affiliation.

Our flower was the blue iris, so the conventionalized form was also used - which is the "fleur-de-lys." (also stands for the "lily of France") I could not find anywhere the photo of the little vest, but as I remember, I also made a silk ribbon iris on one side in blue. I needed this symbol to be 1/2" high or less, and then stitched it with beads. I drew this again today, and colored it with a drawing pen that was lying on the table to illustrate where I would put the little cross band (in gold on mine)

One thing leads to another, and I was reminded of one of the angels I designed for the Christmas tree at the Governor's Mansion here in Austin back when Mrs. Perry (Anita) asked for a collection of angels of the 40 sq." size.

The next one was in remembrance of a past Governor's wife, Mrs. Price Daniel, who was also a member of my sorority, as was her daughter, who was active in the chapter when I was. The irises on this angel are not "blue," but are in the colors I love so from the Leah Schwartz paintings.

I remember we used to giggle about that Fleur-de-Lys, as it is on the coat-of-arms for the Royal Stuarts, as Mary, Queen of Scots was essentially French - (her father was a Stuart king of Scotland, but she went to France as a child to marry the Dauphin (who died very young) and become Queen of France.)

The Fleur de Lys was symbol of the French ruling house, and Mary's son became James I of England after Queen Elizabeth I died with no heir. Thus the Stuart tartan became the Royal Stuart tartan, and Queen Elizabeth II has adopted it for her own personal tartan - her honor guard wears the kilts in this pattern. Prince Charles, when at Balmoral, wears the hunting coloration of this same tartan, which is in darker, cool colors ( blues and greens) Obviously, this is my favorite period of English history, besides the Plantagenets.

Next find was a drawing - the color picture has vanished. I remember really enjoying drawing and painting this one. The note to myself on the tracing paper says it's for a 4" x 6" photo. The spider web in the center is just a better tracing to use when putting it onto canvas, as the one in the corner was rough and not good to use for the final piece.

I drew this a number of years ago - but was told by a few shop owners I showed it to that people would not be interested in stitching Halloween stuff. Oh my. Those little dots, I believe, were silver, representing stars. Now, with more wonderful novelty threads, this would almost tempt me.

My original inspiration was the reallly great photos we took of my first two little grand daughters at Halloween. I thought it would be fun to have those displayed year 'round, but they needed more than just a plain frame. I never did get around to stitching it- and have no idea where it is.

Looking at it, I see DMC Memory thread on the pumpkin vine tendrils, and plenty of P.V.V. on the pumpkins. I had to buy a book on carving Halloween pumpkins to get the facial expressions. Fun!! More on the finds maybe tomorrow - this is too long as it is. I may have to give myself another day off and go dig in the bottom drawer of the file again. I might even remember what I was originally looking for.

Choosing Threads for the Fish

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.

Scallop Shell and A Fish in Needlepoint

My photography is never the best, but is really off tonight, as I didn't notice the light zapping the gold tag until I edited the picture. Oh well. I started the fish today, as I couldn't keep my hands away from him another day.

This fish is from a collection I did a number of years ago (time flies), when I was inspired by some jewelry in an antiques magazine. I didn't realize until later that the fish in this lot were the shapes of actual tropical fish! The painted version is on the other blog (Freebies, Etc.), where the patterns are available for print out.

I've assembled Petite Very Velvet for this one, as I'm very fond of the effect of the metallic thread and shiny stuff against it, and the greens are right, I think. Also in the plan is some DMC Satin Floss - the black band on the head and another place or two.

I'm using the Kreinik #12 braid in 002V, and 1/16" ribbon for the little silver "beads" in the chains of jewelry. I chose the ribbon mainly because of the way the light strikes the surface on the Smyrna cross I used here. Braid would have worked fine - but not as effective as the flat shine of the ribbon.

These metallic threads are so wonderful for accents and special effects - things we didn't have when I first started designing almost 40 years ago.

The jewels are probably going to be red, as on the painted version, but I wanted to also show what I usually use for "pearls." This is Shimmer by Renaissance - great pearls!. Sorry about the glare on the tag.

I have several things drawn on canvas and ready to stitch, and will be doing them, I hope, simultaneously.

This scallop shell is very small - you can see the scale by comparing it with the cards of PVV. It's only 3 1/4" high on 18 mesh canvas - and this one also is available on Freebies for you to use to create your own.

The original was blue and green, but I like the look of this color combo, and of course the "pearls" in Shimmer will be lovely. What looks like coral on the blue and green version (Freebies) will probably be changed to peridots on this one.

I'm off to stitch some more and find a NetFlix movie to watch meanwhile. I've given myself another day off from the marathon of painting Talavera crosses for The Yarn Barn of San Antonio for Fiesta - San Jacinto Day celebration. I found I couldn't keep up the pace as I could have 20 years ago. Oh dear.

Kreinik Metallic Threads: The Many Faces!! (a tutorial)

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!!

Calla Lilies in Talavera for Needlepoint

I have just now finished painting this, as it's destined for San Antonio for Fiesta later this month (The Yarn Barn), and realized it's an appropriate picture for a post today!!

As my family is off somewhere munching on Cadbury Creme eggs, jelly beans, etc.,(after doing Church things, of course), I'm painting crosses for the celebration commemorating Texas Independance with the victory at San Jacinto.

Anyway, the calla lily, although a native of South Africa - and the Isand of Madagascar, has been a beloved and symbolic flower of many cultures for many centuries, starting with the ancient Greeks. It's considered to represent "magnificent beauty," purity and chastity, so is appropriate for use at many festive occassions..

In Mexico, it has been grown and loved for several centuries - and was a favorite subject for the painter Diego Rivera. Lately I've seen it on many different ceramic objects in Talavera, so have enjoyed adapting this flower in this style to needlepoint!

Silk Ribbon for April

According to my Kodak albums, I didn't finish this until June of last year, so didn't use it for the Freebies, Etc. header - or maybe Freebies didn't exist yet. I don't remember. (a common complaint these days.)

Anyway - I do remember procrastinating, and consulting several books on the subject, but couldn't find sweet peas - so, once again, consulted what was growing in the garden, I think - or pictures of someone's garden - and created my own.


Anyway - the flowers and jewel for April (diamonds) are represented here, and my older daughter loves the fact that her husband has an April birthday, so he may give her diamonds in his own honor. The instructions for this sweet pea are under "birthday crazy quilts" on the side bar.

This is also available at Elegant Whimsies as either a painted canvas, or as an e-pattern for creating your own.

While on the subject of silk ribbon - I also found this ancient picture, dating from when I was playing with ornament shapes to practice and learn new - and also very old stitches from my 70's books - on simple cookie cutter shapes.


The tree on the left shows swags of silk ribbon flowers with beads in the background. The tree on the right is a combination of stitches from a very old and out of print book that was one of the best of that era - I really enjoy playing with this one, as the color combinations are endless.


I believe these two trees were finished by Vikki Pinson, and are used in a display on small dowels on little wooden platform pedestals - very effective for a forest of trees on a mantel - might even vary the sizes and shapes!!


The tree ornament shapes are from my e-book "ornament shapes II." (Elegant Whimsies)

Wildflowers in Silk Ribbon

It's strange what falls out of old files when I'm looking for something I did years and years ago. This scan of a photograph dates back about 12 years to when I was busy "interpreting" nature with silk ribbon embroidery.

I had been painting accessories for the National Wildflower Research Center (Lady Bird Johnson's finest achievement), and had hundreds of photos I had taken during different seasons. Great pictures to work from when designing needlepoint.

Anyway, this egg is gone - I have no idea what happened to it, but I apparently photographed the canvas before it went to the finisher. The bluebonnets have the little touches of magenta that one sees on the flower - did you know that bluebonnets are actually quite purple? I had no idea, and I'm a native, until I started mixing paint, using real flowers to get the color right. Incredible! They look so blue en masse out in the field. The little red flowers are Drummond's Phlox, which the Wildflower Center had planted in a bed full of bluebonnets - and the yellow ones are Huisache Daisies.

This was a fun exercise in silk ribbon, as I remember, so think I might try it again. It's already starting to get hot here, but we've had enough rain that the wildflowers out there should be glorious this year. They don't last long, but it's an incredible sight out in the fields. Bluebonnets bloom along with the Indian Paintbrush, (which I never did in silk ribbon). As River Silks hadn't been "invented" yet, on this egg I used Thread Gatherer overdyed ribbon for the foliage, and YLI ribbon for the flowers.

While things are still blooming in the early spring - do go outside and walk and really SEE the leaves and flowers, and think how you might do them on needlepoint in Silk Ribbon!

A Jeweled Palm for the Day

I found this picture while going through a file on "jeweled" things - both flora and fauna. It's from another of my phases - or "binges" - that I periodically go through. This one was prompted by an ad in an Antiques Magazine for some very old and very beautiful jewelry of the tropical genre, including a parrot and this palm tree.

As I remember, the brooch was enameled, with peridots on the leaves and topaz on the trunk. I stitched a number of these things - fish, etc., but didn't do any of the shells. I think that's what I shall do next, and probably offer some outline drawing on Freebies Etc. for peope to design their own ornaments with shells and fish. Small, bright and beautiful, and the imagination can soar.

Anyway, what a perfectly appropriate day to be showing a palm tree!! It's Palm Sunday.

Fabric Strips for Knitting - A Very Creative Medium!

I'm always distressed to hear people say they tried to knit and didn't like it -- bored with scarves, etc. (Of course scarves are boring.) This is right up there with losing potential needlepointers due to their being told they have to begin with very complicated stitches all over the canvas with lots of toys and tools and expensive threads.

I'm also of the opinion that people don't like knitting because someone has resurrected those dreadful straight needles that I hoped were banished forever by the mid 80's. They make the neck and shoulders hurt, and many stitches are dropped. One may knit back and forth on circular needles in comfort and with ease, and never drop a stitch. The weight of the work stays in the lap.

I've been knitting since I learned to read, as I taught myself from the little green Coats & Clark book purchased at Woolworth's in the 40's. It is perhaps the most creative of the fiber arts for me, and I've never tired of it. My children treasure still the sweaters and tattered afghans I made for them when they were young. Yarns and patterns and styles and techniques are endless, and there are so many things to make, it would take a long lifetime to do it all..

But that isn't the topic here. One of my very favorite of knitting phases has been the fabric strip knitting, which I believe is of interest again. I was introduced to this in about 1987 in Tallahassee, and have periodically enjoyed it again. The look of it is what I call "Raggedy Chic" - as it's not shabby chic, nor is it "country" or "rustic." Maybe the "Lodge Look" would do. It's actually rather sophisticated - and the little threads from the cut edges (ALWAYS cut on the straight of the fabric, not on the diagonal) give it an informal appearance.

I'm showing in the second and third photos, the fabric and then the resulting tote bag. That was a learning experience - as I was determined to practice my intarsia skills and also to do this thing with gussets, and all in one piece - Thank Heaven for asymmetric graph paper for knitting patterns!

The two pieces with circular elements were another experiment - worked out, again, on the knitting graph paper. Knit stitches are wider than they are tall, so it's a different method of drawing a circle, which I'll explain in a tutorial on Freebies, Etc. when I get it together.

This is going to involve digging deep into the back of my filing cabinet to find the patterns I wrote when doing this the last time - about four years ago.

Beads for Bubbles

I had to put this away and not look at it for a while, as I wasn't content with the end result - it seemed too cluttered. However, I must remind myself, that the ocean floor and territory between sand and the surface has so much more going on than we see in a clean and orderly fish bowl - I had been looking at Anne's wonderful project and forgot that part of it. (She has now posted the finished fish bowl)

We must remind ourselves of environmental protection, as it would be a shame to lose this glorious "clutter" in the sea. I was astonished at the beautiful colors and at the variety of marine life, although I've studied it for many years. I hadn't really looked at the coral reefs closely.

I was correct in my original comment about making the spaces for the beads, representing bubbles, equidistant when I marked them. I would have put stitches to fill some of them in, but as I had worked the needle blending, it would have been a lot of trouble to figure out what to put where. The next best thing was to go ahead and put both sizes Sundance #250 clear beads, and stagger the placement - random.

With this project finished, I'm not sure what to do next - all out of ideas. Anyway, I have painting to do to keep me busy.

Gorgonian Coral and Fish

As the coral and the fish are the two main elements - I'll show them first, as they're what I build the rest of the picture around. I'm getting quite an education here, as I cruise the internet looking at images of these beautiful things.

I could only get an "interpretation" of the gorgonian, but this is great art, of course, so one may take liberties. Julia has already informed me that either the coral is a dwarf, or the fish has surpassed the whale shark in size, as these corals grow to be quite large. Oh well. I do like the way the Memory Thread makes coral. The little red polyps are made with Caron Waterlilies in "Chili."

I've used a lot of Thread Gatherer's "Sea Grass" on these ornaments - not because of the name, but because, coincidentally, they are perfect for the effects I want. This green is actually the color "Sea." Again, here I've used Sharon Boggon's variation of a herringbone stitch for grass, which was difficult for me, as I'd practiced on the crazy quilt pieces making nice, regular, symmetric herringbone stitches.

Next, the cobalt blue starfish was added - I had to have another one of these! This one is made with DMC Satin Floss. It's amazing how the addition of each element of the pattern makes it come more alive!

The third photo shows the additions beginning of the little critters and things lying around in the sand. I used an overdyed thread for the little orange thing, as well as for the French Knot critters in yellow and orange. These are what I call the "generic" marine creatures. I always take a look through my picture files before doing this, as I get images imprinted in my mind that makes it easier to come up with arrangements and shapes - and colors. Again, Sea Grass is used for the lime green things.

It isn't finished, but almost - I get tired visually at this point, and have to put it away, as the tendency is to overdo the "decoration" and clutter it.

The sea weed is another variation of herringbone stitch, and is made with DMC Satin floss. On the far left, the little plant was made with perle cotton in chain stitch. (I saw this in an underwater picture, and couldn't resist).

The beads will be the last thing to add - and I did get the size 11, so I can have a bit of variation in size on the bubbles.

Marine Life in Needlepoint

While looking at the pictures I have saved of the coral reefs, it suddenly dawned on me why the aquarium gravel we used to put in our fish bowls was invented. The area around some of the corals on the ocean floor looks just like it - this along with watching Anne doing the freshwater version of life underwater. It was looking at her "gravel" that made me realize it.

(If you haven't been watching this develop, do go look at The Cape Stitcher.)

Meanwhile, working on my saltwater version, I decided to be clever last night and create a gorgonian in needlepoint. At this point, I had decided that, again, Memory Thread was the perfect coral, and that the little red extended polyps it needed, as in a picture I have saved, would be best done with crossed chain stitches and a red French Knot. I got this far, and realized it was a mess - so spent some time taking them out, as I had already made the chain stitches almost to the bottom.

A friend mentioned to me that Memory Thread is not for stitching - just for surface embellishment. However, I have enjoyed "making stitches" with it in a limited amount - It is an absolute necessity for interpreting coral, and a few fly stitches and fern stitches are simple to do.

I had to make holes in the work with a large tapestry needle for pushing and pulling the thread wrapped wire through - but it can be done, and I rather enjoy it as a new twist in creativity. More on this later, as I intend to make little red French Knots all along the branches - without the chain stitches.

The Fish is Swimming

The fish is finished and free of the waste canvas. Having to use a chenille needle for this exercise has left my fingers sore - it's not an easy task pushing a needle through the stitched background with the waste canvas on top of it, and I also tend to forget that the tip is very sharp, as opposed to the tapestry needle we normally use for needlepoint.

I also had to use the needle nose pliers when the needle didn't want to pull through easily. The effect, however, is worth it. The stitches look rather rough, but it will smooth out nicely when gently steam pressed.

I left the top fin without it's spines, as I wanted to use a long stitch for emphasis, adding them after the waste canvas was removed. That worked well, so I wish I'd left the lower fin to do that way too, as the Satin floss really shines on the stitches. A learning experience for next time. I'll probably put this away for a day or two, and then look at it with a fresh eye that isn't tired.

By stitching this pattern element on waste canvas, I made it kind of float on top of the background instead of being part of it - very effective!

Stitching a Fish on Waste Canvas

I think I burned out - or just ran out of steam for the last two days, and haven't achieved much except to stitch a bit on the next coral reef ornament - this time with the fish!

I finished the background and sand, and prepared to put my litfle fish onto waste canvas. I still like the look of the design element on top of the background stitches instead of being part of it.

Originally, I had drawn the fish facing the other way, so had to trace it and "mirror image" it. On using the waste canvas, one can position an element of the pattern in any direction, due to being able to move the canvas around. I didn't really consider another position for the fish until I looked at the fresh water version being worked at The Cape Stitcher's place. She has just now started this one, so do watch the progress if you haven't already found it!

We've had great fun discussing the various services we held when our children were small and we were dealing with a fish departed from this life. She says she held a number of Naval burials, while my boys preferred fertilizing the rose garden. (they didn't know this). I held "burials at sea" when I could get away with it. Anyway - do go look at hers, as her fish have more personality than mine does.

Working on waste canvas over needlepoint is not a swift process, and I wouldn't do it on a large area, but for the effect, it's worth the effort. I'm using DMC Satin Floss on this one, and it seems to be fine. We'll see when the waste canvas comes out!


















In the beginning, I was so enchanted by the colors on the salt water fish I've studied, that I had pulled out several to use on this one little critter - but then realized that it's so small, it would just lose itself among the French Knots I will add later lying around in the sand - too much would ruin it.

About Satin Floss: I've been using DMC Satin Floss since it first came out - there wasn't even a store in Austin who had it, so I had to buy some directly from the company. I think it's available now in most LNS's - and well worth using. It replaces their old rayon floss, which was crinkly and difficult.

The Satin floss is slippery, but no worse than any other brand rayon thread, and is more versatile, as it is plied. The colors, and they add new ones often, are gorgeous!! and of course totally compatible with the DMC pearl cotton and floss - as they are the same.

Nobuko Stitch and More Coral Reef Fantasy

First - I'm announcing that I finally finished Chapter II of PAINT YOUR OWN CANVAS! - so it's ready and available on my web page, Elegant Whimsies, along with Chapter I.

I'm working on another coral reef ornament - a bit different, in that I had the bright idea, after looking at many photographs taken by divers, that it needed some bubbles ascending from the ocean floor. Of course the logical thing to do is to use the Sundance #250 clear beads - the round ones, not the hexagonal.

My error in judgment was to not consider that the bubbles should have been placed at random distances apart, and not every weft stitch vertically in a line - you can see where I marked them, and have left them bare in the basketweave for later addition.

Also, I should use both sizes - the #14, and @11, as in this case, the two sizes would be more effective. Oh well. Another learning experience - for next time.

The first photo shows the five divisions I marked with a blue Sharpie drawing pen for needle blending the water. (Concentric circles were used as a pattern)

The 6th space at the bottom is there because I knew I would cover it with sand, which is marked with the light brown/gold pen. The stitching is finished through four layers, and now ready for the darkest shade - which will be 4 plies of the darker blue - only used two shades of blue on this.

Ordinarily, when using a textured stitch on an area, I would outline it first to make the edges look neat rather than messy and jagged - but in this case, the basketweave water does that job for me. Anyway, the sand doesn't need to be smooth.

I'm using Nobuko stitch, as it isn't directional, nor is it "busy" enough to interfere with embellishment on top in the form of all kinds of sea critters that live on and around a coral reef.

I was curious about the name "Nobuko," and decided to do a bit of research. It's a Japanese feminine name, meaning "girl of faith." The word also stands for truth and f idelity - a lovely name for a little girl who will hopefully grow into a woman with these characteristics.

This is a wonderful stitch, and I use it often for many things, where only a bit of subtle texture is needed. I'm showing it in two colors, simply to illustrate the "traveling" - as it begins on the right, working horizontally, and then returns (the blue row) horizontally from left back to right. Very easy.

Inspiration in Nature! A Beautiful Blog

I've been looking at Carol-Anne Conway's blog regularly for quite some time, (Threads Across the Web) although I don't do embroidery. - It's great to have these images of beautiful and well-executed work in my head. I look at more of the diverse fiber arts than I do needlepoint, as being a designer, I find so much visual stimulation in those - and learn a lot, even though I do a different sort of work.

Incidentally, Carol-Anne has posted a picture of the beautiful Japanese embroidery she's just finished - cords and a tassel. Go see it here.


This morning, as I was "cruising" blogs, I decided to look at another of hers she has listed on her profile: Wilbur's World. These are some of the most beautiful photographs I've seen in a while - and I went way back a year or two (and there are more) and thoroughly enjoyed myself - and realized I've been smiling! She presents them in a very charming way.


Do go look at this if you haven't seen it before - a great way to start or finish the day! As a designer, I look at nature for inspiration, as the colors and forms not only imprint in my brainwires, but I feel a joy in looking at it from all angles in all seasons. (even underwater)

Paint Your Own Canvas: a commercial

I'm very pleased to announce that I finally got out of my creative avoidance mode that I've been in for over a year, and finished what I'll call "Chapter I" of the revision of this book.

I was astonished, as really going over it page by page, that it was rather behind, and had quite a few typos in it - as I wrote it a couple of years before I got a computer or a digital camera. Materials have been expanded, but technique is the same.

I thought that by offering the book as an E-Book, it would be easier for everyone, including me - and much less expensive. I was able to put a lot more color into it that I couldn't do if having to take it to a printer.

The decision to cut it into two chapters came when I realized it was getting way too long to comfortably download - so this one deals with detailed descriptions and pictures of the "tools" and materials used in hand painting canvases - and how to use and care for them. Also included are pros and cons of oils vs. acrylics for painting, as well as some of my favorite color mixtures.

Also, there are pictures of some of my canvases illustrating interesting design sources I like to use. I'll start on Chapter II tomorrow, and hope to have it finished before the weekend is over. This will deal with the actual process from drawing a pattern to getting it onto canvas and painting it.

The E-book is available on my web page Elegant Whimsies under "E-Booklets" (or something to that effect).