Monday, March 23, 2009

Wait! There's More...

Quite a while ago, in a previous post, I showed you the borderwork on a small California Poppy piece that I use as a teaching/class project. Now, I want to show you how I've slightly modified that border for a companion piece. Same pattern, different flower, -- and a different colorway.

This time I stitched up some lilacs:


Unlike the poppies, where both borders were stitched with the same dark green, I stitched the inner border with the lighter green and the outer border with the darker green. It creates a bit more drama and dimension - just by changing the colors slightly. Keep that in mind.... next time you want to add a border (or repeat one) think about altering the color just a bit, to create extra richness.

While we're on the subject... I also stitched this pattern in a wine country version, called GRAPE HARVEST, using an autumnal color palette:


In this teaching design, I took the lilac flowers of the upper design, turned them upside down and altered them slightly to turn them into grape clusters.

Same design composition, just different botanicals and very different color palettes. And what a different "feel" each design has!

(And oh yes, in case you were wondering, I've already started yet ANOTHER variation of this design, using soft pastel colors for a sweet summertime flower..... but you'll just have to be patient and wait and see what I come up with!!)
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7 comments:

  1. Front Range StitcherMarch 24, 2009 at 5:55 PM

    What a keen sense of color you have, everything is always so appealing. Looking forward to your summertime theme.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    Could the next one be hydrangeas, perhaps? A summer flower of pastel pinks and blues, the blooms have a clustered shape which would look very pretty rendered in composite stitches.

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  3. WandaMarch 25, 2009 at 12:35 AM

    Wow...both are beautiful and the colors are perfect for the names! Looking forward to seein the summertime one

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  4. NancyMarch 25, 2009 at 8:22 AM

    As a beginner at needlepoint, I have lots of questions. One of these is illustrated in your lilac piece. Inside each of the "diamond" shapes is a
    small lilac surrounded by open canvas. How do you start AND finish a thread with so little stitching to anchor it? I am assuming you are not
    carrying thread because I don't see it. Thank you.

    Nancy

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  5. CarolMarch 26, 2009 at 2:58 PM

    Both pieces are lovely. I am partial to burgundy colors so really like the grape piece.

    Thanks for being such an inspiration and sharing your talent with us all.

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  6. aceretaMarch 28, 2009 at 3:50 PM

    Beautiful Grape Harvest!

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  7. AnonymousAugust 24, 2009 at 9:56 AM

    I love the grape harvest. I can't find the pattern anywhere. Are you going to be making the pattern available to buy? I live in the heart of Oregon wine country and this would be a perfect piece to do.

    ReplyDelete