Springy Things

 

Are the flowers blooming where you live?

Does it get you in the mood to stitch some springy things??

One of my favorite spring pieces is LONG SPRING PANEL, which I originally stitched

in cool pinks and greens:

 

 

Then I loved this design so much I stitched it again in warm pinks and greens:

Both versions are yummy and I STILL can't decide which I like better!!

Then there is the fresh and airy SPRINGTIME BOUQUET, that reminds me

of a garden gazebo, covered in vines and climbing roses:

For a springy blue piece, I created this SPRING BOUQUET SAMPLER below, which is stitched 

on 24 ct. Congress Cloth with delicious Waterlilies 110 - "Hyacinth".  The stitched patterns

are a combination of "composite stitches" and "blackwork stitches" done in color.

The fun thing about this design is that it can be stitched in ANY color palette, if you first

choose a variegated Waterlilies thread you adore, then pick your solid colors to coordinate:

And for another light-filled springtime piece, here's BLUE RIBBON SAMPLER, 

which sneaks in a bit of hardanger amongst the blackwork flowers for a lovely lacy feel:

I stitched the above piece in blues and apricots - using variegated 

Wildflowers 147 - "Winter Sky",but again, 

you can change the colors in this piece just by choosing another variegated thread,

then matching the DMC #8 and #12 pearl cottons to it.

Just looking at these pieces creates the illusion of walking through a springtime garden, 

filled with colorful flowers waving in the soft breeze.  So if any of these pieces 

strike your fancy, please skip on over to my website and look under my

"SAMPLER COLLECTION" to peruse these and other springy designs! 

 

Friday Flowers: Pastels

Are you feeling springy yet?

Need some soft pastel flowers to get you in the springtime mood?

 If the flowers in your garden aren't blooming yet, you might want to create your own spring bouquet by stitching up this lovely pastel piece, called SPRINGTIME BOUQUET:

I just love, love, love the soft pastel colors of this design!  It uses a favorite variegated thread of mine - Watercolours 64 - "Pale Lilac" and here I've stitched it up with pink accent colors, but the pattern also provides thread suggestions for periwinkle blue accent colors (if you prefer more blues than pinks!)  It's stitched on a 14" by 14" piece of eggshell 18 ct. canvas, and the finished size is 10.5" by 10.5' -- it would make a fantastic pillow, I'm thinking....

The four central floral blocks are actually blackwork patterns, done with 1 ply of the variegated Watercolours, but the soft pastel colors create such a delicate look!  Here's what they look like up-close:

 

Lacy leaves, a fun ribbon border, and oh yes, ahem, those ARE Wrapped Roses in the corners. Fun to try, if you've never done them...but if they are not your favorite stitch (grin), you could avoid stitching them and just add sweet buttons or even purchase pre-made ribbon roses!

Please skip on over to my website and click on the SAMPLER COLLECTION to find out
how to order this lovely SPRINGTIME BOUQUET pattern.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

A New Spring Bouquet

Last week I gave you a peek at something I was working on that had a bit of blackwork in it.  Remember this picture?:

Well, here's the finished design, and it's called SPRING BOUQUET SAMPLER:

It's a light and airy mixture of "composite" stitch patterns and blackwork patterns.  When I was designing this piece, I was curious to see what it would look like to mix in some blackwork areas with the slightly darker composite stitch areas.  And I really like how it looks like a small patchwork quilt, or even part of a crazy quilt.  I like to pretend it's a collage of sprigged cottons sewn from scraps left over from old-timey dresses....

I stitched the 9.25" x 9.25" model on 24 ct. Congress Cloth, so it has a much more delicate look than my usual 18 ct. creations, but it can also be worked on 18 ct. canvas by increasing the plies of silk used (and then on 18 ct. canvas the size of the piece would be 12.25" x 12.25"). 

And speaking of the threads, this is the soft pastel palette I selected:

Because I was in a springy mood, I wanted to use one of my very favorite variegated threads - Waterlilies 110, "Hyacinth".  This particularly yummy colorway of periwinkle blues, orchids and soft greens is not available in the thicker #5 Watercolours, so I had to adapt the piece so it could be done in stranded silk instead of pearl cotton.

While I stitched the rest of the piece, I left the center block empty.  Originally I was going to fill it with a tent-stitched image of a basket of spring flowers.  But as I got ready to stitch the center area, I had a flash of inspiration and decided to do something a bit more unexpected, and try a rather freeform bouquet of flowers.
Here's a close-up of the central area:
 

It's not really difficult, and to get you started I've included a graph of just the center box, that indicates where to stitch the stem lines, which gives you something to work off of as you create your own bouquet of french knots and lazy daisy stitches.  I really like the lightness and delicacy of this simple bouquet, and find it compliments the airy stitch patterns that surround it.  [And psssst: you know what?...if you'd rather fill the space with another type of image, try looking through that pile of cross stitch patterns I know you have, and I bet you can find just the right image of flowers or birds or bunnies to tent stitch in your center box...hey, it's just another idea to consider...]

So, if you happen to be in a springy stitchy mood like I am, please visit my website, Laura J. Perin Designs and you'll find more information for ordering this fresh new SPRING BOUQUET SAMPLER.

Mini Mystery Monday, April 2013, pt. 4

There's just a bit more to stitch on this small springtime mystery piece.  Here's the graph to follow this week:

And all that needs to be done is: stitch the center circle with your metallic thread, along with the four diagonal stitches in an accent color.  Lastly, add your beads (or french knots), as I've suggested in the above graph.

But WAIT!  We can play a little bit more with this design, if you want to......

As I was working out this design and got a bit of my model stitched, I realized I could make it a little bit larger by adding one more scalloped border on the outside, which creates an extra curvy look to it.
Check out this quarter graph to help you add one more border row around your outer edge:

Isn't that fun?  It's a very easy addition that extends the size of this ornament, and adds a bit more color to the piece.

I also wanted to share with you the different ways this design can be stitched.  Originally, I grabbed a Watercolours thread and a handful of #5 pearl cottons to work my model... But then I thought you might find it interesting to see how this design looks like on a small count canvas using finer threads.  Here's a picture of the original #5 pearl cotton version with another one I've partially stitched on 22 ct. Hardanger fabric, using #8 pearl cottons and a bit of Caron Wildflowers:

It's apprx. 3" x 3" on the finer fabric, and quite a bit more delicate looking.  You can also work this design on a fine Aida fabric (say 16 or 18 ct.)..... or even your favorite evenweave fabric (I like 24 ct. Lugana).  As you work on finer fabrics/canvases, you need to use finer threads.  Try 1-2 ply of DMC floss or stranded silks, if you want a really fine, delicate look to your piece. 

I hope you've enjoyed stitching this slightly different design.  I'm going to go back to work on a much larger project on 24 ct. Congress Cloth that actually incorporates some of these same blackwork flower motifs.  It's not quite ready yet, but should be finished in the next week or so.  Here's a peek:

And pssssst, if you're curious about that fun needle minder I have on the right, let me direct you to Etsy, where I stumbled on a whole bunch of wonderful "bottle cap" magnets for sale!  I found this one in an Etsy store called "Little EMbellishments", and the owner/crafter is Emillie Dellalucia.  She was selling packs of 4 magnets with the KEEP CALM image in different colors.  Anyway, I asked if she could sell me additional magnets so I could use them on my canvases, and she happily agreed.   LOVE 'EM!!

So.........    Go. Shop. Stitch.            And of course, Have Fun!

Mini Mystery Monday for April

Hey there, stitchers.... I've been buried under an avalanche of orders for my EASTER EGG ORNAMENTS these past few weeks, and now that Easter has passed and I've mailed out all my patterns, I finally have a bit of time to sit down and think up a new little mystery project for April.....

Currently, I'm working on a new springtime sampler design, and just to try something different, I've added a few blackwork patterns within the larger piece to create a rather interesting effect.  So I have blackwork patterns on my mind, and decided to try designing a small mystery piece around a bit of blackwork.   But we're going to use a variegated Watercolours for the blackwork stitches (instead of a solid color), which will make things more interesting - and colorful - to stitch.

Here's what you need:
-  an 8" x 8" piece of 18 ct. mono canvas in a light to medium color (white, eggshell, or a pale color);
-  a few strands of a variegated Watercolours - select one in the medium to dark range (light colors just don't show the blackwork designs very well, so honestly, darker is better);
-  two solid colors of DMC #5 pearl cotton (one light/medium, one as a bright/accent color);
-  a flat, metallic ribbon in a matching color or metal color (gold, silver, copper, etc.)

Here's the graph for the first part of this mini mystery piece:

The actual blackwork element you'll be creating looks like this up close:



And you start by working the dark lines first, using 1 ply of the variegated Watercolours. I recommend using a "Running Backstitch" (shown below) instead of a plain Backstitch for all your  blackwork.

 

 The Running Backstitch creates crisper corners with no shadowing on the back of the canvas; it also allows the variegated colors to flow more naturally across the canvas as you stitch because you're not skipping stitches, but working each stitch progressively along the design outline.  
 
Create nine of these floral motifs (leaving the center space empty). Then fill their "petals" with the solid color stitches, as shown in the whole stitched flower above, using 1 strand of your solid color #5 pearl cotton. In the center of each flower create a "poofy" padded center with 1 strand of your metallic ribbon thread.

Traditionally, blackwork is done all in one color (usually black) and if you want to do that with this design, please go ahead and give it a try -- it will definitely have a different look...

I really enjoy doing blackwork; basically you're creating geometric elements and then repeating them within a given area to create a lovely, complex pattern.  It seems to me that stitchers either love blackwork or they hate it.  But really, it's easier than it looks and it goes quickly, since you're not covering every thread of the canvas with stitches (like you do with cross stitch, tent stitch, or any other needlepoint stitch).  I hope you'll give it a try and get started on this small mystery piece today!

Friday Flowers: Some Stitched Hydrangeas!

It's been ages and ages since I've done a blackwork piece. One popular blackwork pattern I released  many years ago was called JACOBEAN FLOWERS.  Here's what it looked like:

Basically, I wanted to see what a variegated thread would look like in a blackwork design, and I used a variegated dark pink thread throughout the whole design.  As you can see, this piece has lots of different areas to fill with lots of different blackwork patterns.  


I always wanted to do more long blackwork pieces, but somehow never got back to that format.  Until last year when I got obsessed with doing a long hydrangea piece.  There are so many more variegated threads to use now, and I really wanted to use a thread that had blues and greens for the flowers, and then a variegated green thread for the leaves.  Here's how it finally turned out:

I got halfway through the stitching on this one before I realized that there was no way I could outline each little hydrangea floret -- duh... The only way I could finish off the mophead hydrangeas was to outline the whole shape, and unfortunately, they rather DO look like big blue mopheads - grin!  


But up close, there are lots of beads (silver and crystal ones included in the pattern) that add fun sparkle and texture...plus I like using Kreinik Blending Filament in my blackwork because it adds even more sparkle:

Belatedly, I also realized that if I had added some center circles to each flower, they would make great sunflowers, or roses, or camellias, or peonies!  So I've added that option to the drawing in the pattern that you trace onto your fabric, so you have a broader choice of flowers to stitch:

See how different the design looks now?  (Can you imagine these flowers as sunflowers, with dark beaded centers? Or cottage roses with gold centers?)  Anyway, that gives even more color options for these flowers, and the instructions tell you how to stitch the centers as well.


[ASIDE: I might add here that the way I learned to do blackwork was to trace the drawing onto evenweave fabric, then just start stitching in each space, filling them with geometric blackwork patterns.  Since blackwork is essentially backstitching in a repetitive manner, once you know your pattern you just keep stitching it over and over until it fills the space.  I find this "fill in" method much more enjoyable and relaxing than working from a stitch-by-stitch graph -- I find it goes faster that way, so that's the way my blackwork instructions are written.]


So if any of you enjoy blackwork, like I do, or maybe would like to try creating your own blackwork flowers, please visit my website for more information on this new BLACKWORK HYDRANGEAS pattern....

Rise And Shine!

I was rotating some of my stitchery stuff on the walls around the house and decided to bring this old blackwork ROOSTER WEATHERVANE out to enjoy for awhile.

One of the great things about blackwork is you don't usually need much in the way of thread. This large project (apprx. 10" by 10") used just one skein of DMC floss, one skein of a rust-colored Kreinik Blending Filament and one skein of #5 pearl cotton (for the couched outline). Here's the rooster head up-close so you can see the subtle sparkle in the stitch patterns:


And while I love blackwork, I have a hard time finding just the right images to use to showcase the different blackwork stitch patterns. I think blackwork requires large chunks of space to fill - to show off the dazzling patternwork. I think you need to see the repeats of each pattern to get a really good look at all the different stitch patterns. So I try to think of things that have lots of big areas to fill. I remember I had fun choosing the rooster's different patterns and trying to find ones that suggested feathers. This photo of the rooster's body shows how well the different patterns look against each other:


The way I learned to do blackwork (from class lessons at a now-vanished stitching store in the Bay Area) was to DRAW the line drawing on the fabric (taping your drawing and fabric up on a window, then using a water-soluable pen that would be erased at the end) and then just start stitching the geometric repeats in each section. You only had to refer to a graph when you started stitching each pattern. After you had the pattern started on your fabric, you didn't need the graphs anymore, so you could stitch freely from then on.

I stitched this design many years ago, and now when I look at it I think it would sure look terrific stitched with a variegated thread of rusty browns. How antiquey THAT would look!

A Valentine For You!

It's that time of year for flowers and chocolate and . . . valentines!
Here's a quick valentine to stitch up for yourself, or a special someone.


Yes, it's a SQUARE valentine, done in blackwork. (But you can turn it on point, add a tassel, and you've got a sweet little ornament. Also, please forgive my rather sloppy stitching -- I whipped up the model this morning while watching an hour or so of TV, so I could show you how it looks in stitches.)

What's so fun and quick about stitching blackwork is that you can pick and choose the various elements you want to use in your design. I think of blackwork as a mix-n-match type of stitching, because you can play around by adding or subtracting easy elements to create totally different patterns, depending on your needs. Below is a picture of the two different elements that were used to create the whole valentine design. The GREEN ARROW shows the first element. The ORANGE ARROW shows the second element.


Either of these elements can be stitched by themselves -- imagine a row of either element, to be used as a border around a small sampler. Or create a row of these elements in a band sampler. Or they could be stitched in a monochrome color as a background pattern for a painted canvas. And for this valentine, by combining both of those simple elements, I've created the more complex elements shown on the right side.

I've stitched this on 25 ct. linen Congress Cloth (so it has a slubby look) with a variegated Wildflowers-type thread. The variegated thread adds a bit of "color confusion" for your eyes.... If you stitched this in a solid color, it would look more traditional and quieter! Also, because I stitched it so small, on 25 ct Congress Cloth, the design is rather bunched together. For a more lacy and airy look, try stitching on Hardanger cloth (22 ct), Aida cloth, any evenweave fabric, or even 18 ct canvas. You can also move the elements further apart, by just a thread or two...

And you can see that I've added a few gold beads for a little "bling".... and there's also a bit of red metallic stitched in the small valentine flowers. The fun thing about blackwork is: you can add as much or as little accent colors/beads as you want. You can be the designer!

So, if you want to play around with this little blackwork valentine, please check out the FREE PATTERNS page on my website and print out the page for your stash.

Anyway, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY and I hope you enjoy some special stitching time this weekend...( some chocolate and flowers would be nice, too!)

Blackwork in Red = Rackwork?

Recently, I printed up a batch of my BLACKWORK PATTERNS book, and as I was collating and binding the pages, I always see something that catches my eye. This time it was a pattern that reminded me of pointsettia flowers. Here's the top of the page I saw:


The pattern on the left side shows what it would look like if you stitched the whole thing in just ONE color/thread type - all in black, for instance. The pattern in the middle shows how you would incorporate an ADDITIONAL color/thread to the pattern - like adding a metallic accent, for example. And the pattern on the right side shows how you might stitch it if you wanted to use SEVERAL colors and/or types of threads - such as different colors, metallic threads and even beads.

Still being in a festive holiday mood, I decided to stitch up a swatch of the pattern (using an ivory/cream piece of 24ct. Congress Cloth and a few strands of thread) and share the process with you.

Here are the main (or primary) design lines, done with 1 ply of 6-ply floss DMC 816:


Next, I added the secondary stitches - this time using a fine red Kreinik blending filament (which adds a subtle red glisten to the design, although the photos don't show it).


Now to punch it up a little bit, I added the third layer of stitches, this time using a gold metallic thread. Notice how adding the gold metallic "warms" the overall feel of the piece, as well as adding some bling to the thing:


But wait, I'm not done yet!... there's still a few beads to add, to give it extra dimension and sparkle:


At this point, can you see how nice this would look if you turned it "on point" and whipped it up as a small ornament, with a small tassel hanging off the bottom? (The overall design size on 24 ct. is 2.25" x 2.25") And it was really quick to stitch up -- I did it in a few hours, in between printing, doing laundry, walking the dog, etc. And I also stitched the same exact pattern using a thicker thread and variegated as well (similar to a #8 pearl cotton or Wildflowers, for instance.) It looks a bit "chunkier" doesn't it? You can also stitch blackwork designs on 18 ct canvas and #5 pearl cottons, which makes the pattern much larger and bolder, of course.


And here's my parting slanted shot, where I was trying to get some of the metallic to shimmer a bit, to show you how very elegant blackwork can be, even when the stitches themselves are the most basic, simplest and plainest of straight stitches.


But that's what stitchery is really all about, isn't it? Something so simple - just a needle and thread making stitches on fabric - can be utilized in endlessly fascinating ways....Which is why we're all addicted to it, right?

(P.S. Stitchers: If you want to try stitching up this little pattern yourself, I give you my permission! Just click on the photos shown above and then go to your FILE menu, hit PRINT PREVIEW to see how large it will print, then hit PRINT to print out the photo - which you should be able to use as a quickie chart, and stitch off of that. Have fun!)

Celtic Cross #2

In my second Celtic attempt, I wanted to try using blackwork to create a special Celtic design.

This is my CELTIC CROSS #2:


I actually designed the piece around an "emerald" button I found in a fabric store. At the time, there were many Celtic-type buttons to choose from, and I liked this antique-looking green button.

I settled on this simple, but most effective composition of an actual Celtic cross layout. And I was very careful to choose blackwork patterns that looked "Celtic" to me. Here are the ones I used in this design:


As you can see in this photo, the actual patterns I stitched in the arms and center areas all have some variation of the larger celtic cross shape within their repeating patterns. This "echoing" of shape and motif re-enforces the overall Celtic theme and also works to tie all the different areas together. In the corners, I've added some large Waffle stitches in a thicker gold cording, as another "echo" of Celtic knotwork. Overall, I was pleased to create a modern blackwork piece that also had the feel of something quite ancient.

I used one ply of dark green DMC floss along with green and gold blending filament, throughout the whole piece, which is stitched on 25 or 28 ct. Lugana (I forget which). Unfortunately, photos never show the dazzling sparkle of metallics in a stitched piece. But trust me, this piece REALLY has lots of green and gold sparkle! It's a favorite blackwork piece of mine, and one I enjoy looking at every day.

Another Hardanger Piece

Here's a companion piece to the WILDFLOWER SAMPLER I showed you previously. It's called BLUE RIBBON SAMPLER.


It features a totally different Hardanger motif in the center, with more blackwork elements, wrapped roses, and a slightly different ribbon border.

Again, it's stitched on ivory 24 ct. Congress Cloth, with a pale variegated thread - Caron's Wildflowers, 147, "Winter Sky." I particularly liked the blues and peaches in this soft colorway, and it really was the inspiration for the whole piece. [By the way, the Wildflowers thread is a soft, single-ply cotton with a matte finish, and very lovely to work with. It works perfectly on 24 ct. Congress Cloth, and it's nice because you don't have to lay multiple plies. You can, of course, also use 12-ply silk or 6-ply cotton floss on this project as well.]
Here's the center Hardanger motif:


You can see how nicely the diamond-shaped rows of klosters look like little flowers. Again, I used #8 and #12 pearl cottons for all the solid colors. And look how nicely the variegated thread shows off its colors as the straight-stitched frame around each Hardangered block. And notice those little eyelets that are used for flower centers in the outlying blackwork flowers....aren't they a good (and easy) way to create a little bit of texture?

And here are the various blackwork elements, as well as the sweet ribbon border (notice those little eyelet flowers mixed with the blackwork foliage):


I like the soft, faded colors in this piece, as well as how "traditional" it feels...it looks like an old-fashioned design, yet if you changed the colors - say, to bold reds and greens on a white canvas - it would look totally different.

I also like to mix & match different stitching techniques in one piece (or maybe you've already guessed that, huh?) I'm always curious to see how things looked mixed together: Hardanger and blackwork, variegated colors and solids, simple and complex stitches. The challenge is creating a balanced piece, where every element fits with all the others, so the piece is not only fun to stitch, but also remains enjoyable to look at long after you're done.

Hardanger Wildflowers

A while ago, I showed you a few Hardanger valentines.

Well, it got me to thinking about another Hardanger project I designed several years ago for Nordic Needle. It's called WILDFLOWER SAMPLER.


I've always liked the delicacy of this piece. It's stitched on ivory 24 ct. Congress Cloth, and the finished design size is 10" x 10".

Initially, I wanted to do a bit of Hardanger, but also I wanted to incorporate a variegated thread (naturally), as well as some soft springy pastels. I ended up using Caron Collection's Wildflowers (a single-ply, matte cotton) in 088 - "Mountain Meadow" (one of my favorite colors, since it has a lovely mix of pinks, yellows, blues and greens). Along with #8 and #12 pearl cottons in soft pinks and greens. I even added a sprinkling of pink beads for added texture.

The Hardanger medallions in this piece always remind me of little flower bouquets, especially when the kloster blocks are stitched to look like flowers. As you can also see, I added some pink wrapped roses, to add even more flowers to the design.


And, as I was designing this piece, I thought I'd add some floral blackwork motifs as well...(why stitch just one technique, when you can add two or three more, for a little stitching variety?!?)


And to finish it off, a ribbon border that has a bit of blackwork and a few wrapped roses, too.


I don't think Nordic Needle carries this pattern any more. So check my website, under the Sampler Collection and you'll see it there.... (Now that I look at it again, I'm thinking it would sure look awfully pretty in pale lavenders and greens, perhaps using Wildflowers' "Lilac" or "Pale Lilac"....What do you think?)

February

Now that it's February, has everyone started working on their hearts and valentines?

I thought I'd share some of my older valentine designs....Just to get us all in the right mood!

Many years ago,I went through quite a feverish blackwork phase, and one of my first (and very elaborate) attempts was this VICTORIAN VALENTINE:


I was inspired to try and recreate an ornate and frilly Victorian Valentine using red cotton floss (1 ply), a fine red Kreinik blending filament, a fine gold metallic, and simple blackwork patterns. The border areas were rather tedious, with lots of repetitious patterns:


But the valentine itself was fun, stitched in a large flowery blackwork pattern; and couched with a fat braid I twirled myself of pearl cotton thread. And I contrasted it with a rather simple and much smaller background pattern:


And after I finished stitching the valentine, I realized it needed a center focal point, so I attached a big acrylic jewel. I guess I could also have attached a gold or brass charm in the center. An old-fashioned heart locket would look lovely, wouldn't it?