Just a Quick Snapshot or Two

 

This weekend I pulled together some models to send to a Trunk Show at Nordic Needle, in Fargo, North Dakota, for the month of June. This is one I'm sending, called "Ducks In A Pond" which is built around a quilt block of the same name.  Can you pick out the ducks in the middle?  Or the zig zag track of webbed feet in the border?   It's a fun mix of simple stitches and serene colors. 

 I stitched the model in blues & greens, using Watercolours 229 - "Oasis" and I love these summery colors.  But I was curious to see what it might look like in other colors, such as teals and tans:

 or maybe purples and browns:

Totally changes the feel of the design, doesn't it?

Anyway, I just thought it would be fun to share these with you.... 

Also, I wanted to mention that I've started posting snapshots of my projects - new and old - on INSTAGRAM.  So if you ever go looking at photos there, try my hashtag #laurajperindesigns to see what I've posted thus far.  It's also fun to check out the other needlepoint sites as well (there are some stitchers, shops, and finishing posts to view).  Try looking under #needlepoint, and #countedcanvaswork (I think I started this one, so there's not much available yet).  It's a very fun way to get some quick stitching inspiration!.

Color Possibilities: ARIZONA STAR

Playing with color is always a fun thing for me, so I've been exploring other colorways that might work for some of my older quilt designs.  A very popular design in the past has been ARIZONA STAR, which I stitched in soft sage greens and pinks.  I love how this design has a Southwestern feel, but also is very geometric and could be more modern, if the color palettes were different.

So how would it look in other colorways?   Playing on the computer gave me these possibilities:

BLUES...

PURPLES...

Or how about more masculine BROWNS....wouldn't that make a great pillow for an office?

So many more stitching possibilities to consider!!

Color Possibilities: SUMMER DAYS

Out of the blue this week, I had a handful of orders for an older quilt design called SUMMER DAYS:

As I'm printing, I always have to wonder if someone out there in Blogville is stitching up my design and inspiring other stitchers, or perhaps a store has a model stitched up...  In any event, this design came about after a store asked me to design something rectangular, to use up the 12" strip of canvas that always seems to get left over, after other square pieces of canvas are cut.  Well, that was a unique challenge for me!  Anyway, the rectangular design is a fun one to stitch, with several fun and easy borders to keep things interesting  Plus, I always think this would make a terrific bolster pillow....

I stitched the original model (shown above) in peppy blues and yellows, which reminded me of traditional french Provencal fabrics.

Now I wonder how it might look in other colorways, and - TA DA! - thanks to modern computer magic, I was able to play around and create some other fun colorways to share with you.   Such as...... a PINK & GREEN version!! (very Lily Pulitzer, don't you think?!)

Or how about a BLUE & CHOCOLATE version -- YUM!

And look at this GREEN & PEACH version...dreamy, n'est pas?

It's certainly an eye-opener to see how different a design looks and feels in another color scheme.  And it also gives you some idea of the endless possibilities within each quilt design.  The trick to stitching any of these new colorways would be to find a variegated thread that has those colors in it, then find matching solid colors: one dark hue for the borders, one or two medium hues for the accent colors, perhaps one or two soft metallic ribbons for a bit of shimmer, and a very pale color for the background.      Gets me itchin' to go stitchin'.... how 'bout you?

Design Quiz

Hiya, Stitchers!

I was playing around with photos of my designs this weekend, 

and was having fun arranging them into color groups. 

 (It was too hot to stitch, so I decided to mix and match

 some of my cooler blue and aqua pieces,

 to see how they'd look next to each other...)  

Then I got even fancier and created a "four-patch" photo 

with four designs of the same or similar colors. 

This one highlights those serene blues and teals.

So I thought I'd share my first DESIGN QUIZ with you savvy stitchers.

Can you name the four Laura J. Perin Designs I used 

to create the BLUE FOUR-PATCH below??

 

And, if you're a lover of all things BLUE, how many of them 

do you have in your stash??

ANSWERS, clockwise from top left:

Bargello and Butterfly  (Samper Collection)

Color Study: Flying Geese  (American Quilt Collection)

Blue Butterfly  (Sampler Collection)

Moorish Tiles  (American Quilt Collection)

Anatomy of a Project: Color Palettes

One of the fun things I like to do when looking through magazines is see if I can find interesting and new color palettes that might be fun to try in stitchery projects. As we all know, every season colors are combined in the latest and "trendiest" colors and the powers that be decide which colors will be HOT for the upcoming year.

Here are some photos I've pulled from magazines that had color palettes that caught my eye.




Oh, YUM! Each of these color palettes gets my creative juices flowing...

Once I've found an intriguing color combination, I'll save it and then decide where I want you use it: in a floral collage?... a quilt design?.... a contemporary geometric abstract?.... a bargello pattern? (You can see how many possibilities there are, once you start playing around with color palettes.)

Then I'll look through my thread stash, or maybe take a trip to the local stitchery store to see if I can find a variegated thread that matches the color palette I've decided to work with. After I have the right variegated thread in hand, I'll start pulling the solid color threads, as well as a variety of metallics to try.

With my thread palette picked out, and my inspiration photo close by, it's time to start stitching!

Indian Autumn is Here!

I've finally finished up on my next quilt design: INDIAN AUTUMN.


It's 10" x 10" on 18 ct. canvas (I used sandstone, but eggshell would work, too). I used Watercolours' 168 - "Rainforest" because it matches my INDIAN SUMMER pattern, but also because that particular colorway has lots of interesting colors you can choose from - to mix and match and coordinate with your solids and metallics.

I enjoyed stitching the different geometric motifs, too. Here's a closeup of the three different motifs and the three different colors (I chose blues, greens, and rusts this time around).

And while all the primary elements are done with #5 pearl cottons, I've done the background in two slightly different colors of DMC floss (436 and 738). I enjoy stitching with 4 ply of floss in the background, after I have ALL the pearl cottons and metallics stitched -- it's kind of a treat for my fingers! Although, you do have to "strip" the floss plies and lay them with care, so they lay flat and smooth (a laying tool is helpful for this.)

As usual, I was totally focused in stitching up this particular autumnal color combination, but about halfway thru, I started to visualize other yummy color possibilities (green and cranberry, pastels, red and gold, blue and gold, etc., etc.).
Because there are lots of different elements to stitch, I recommend selecting a variegated skein that has at least THREE different colors that you can match with your solids and metallics.

Here's a few Watercolour skeins I pulled from my stash that would also be wonderful to try with this design:


From the top, they are: 220 - Cheyenne, 222 - Sierra, 195 - Paprika, 231 - Ethiopia, 245 - Savannah, 236 - Appalachia, 244 - Olive Grove, 259 - Garden Path, and 47 - Camouflage. .... Not to mention the hundreds of other yummy varieged pearl cottons out there!

[ASIDE: This pattern will be available soon on my website: www.ljperindesigns.com , after I ship it off to my distributors.]

Color Palettes of Asilomar

Here are some color palettes from Asilomar, in Monterey, California:

COOL BLUE MORNINGS...

WARM AQUA AFTERNOONS...

SOFT SUEDE SUNSETS...

AAAHHHHHH.....HOW SERENE....

Just A Little Color Break

This blog is just a tranquil rest stop for your eyes.
A time to stop and admire colors, just the way they appear around us...

Aren't these whites and greens restful?

And here's a brighter springtime photo...with the little purple flowers acting like polka dots in the background of the elegant dogwood blossoms...

Oooooh, and here's another punch of color...
I just love those spicy pink dianthus - no matter what size, kind or color!
(And who says pinks and reds don't go together?!?)

Playing with Color

Lately, when I'm tired of printing patterns or stitching until my eyes cross, I visit a lovely blogsite I've found called "Kris's Color Stripes" (http://color-stripes.blogspot.com). It's a soothing place to rest your eyes and mind and just drink in lots of wonderful colors.

The blog writer is obviously an artist with a terrific eye for color. She takes photographs and then pulls out a palette of colors from the photo. Her photos are luscious color portraits - whether they're flowers, objects or places - that provide a restful sanctuary for the eye. And it's sheer delight to drink in her color combinations, to revel in the colors, just for the simple enjoyment of pure color.

As a result of seeing her blogsite, I couldn't resist playing around with colors using my own photos. And as I'm mixing and matching color swatches to the pictures, I realize that's one of the (many) joys of being a stitchery designer: being able to sift through all sorts of thread textures and colors and combine them in pleasing combinations for other stitchers to enjoy.


When stitchers are asked what draws them to a particular project, COLOR is most often the primary reason given for choosing a piece to stitch. We respond to colors in an immediate, intuitive and mostly unconscious way. They "speak" to us without words, yet they can move us deeply.

As Spring appears in your neighborhood, take time to enjoy all the colors that Nature uses. One of the fascinating things about nature is: there are no bad color combinations - they all work! Study the color palettes that appear in flowers and landscapes all around you. It will surely give you a greater appreciation for color, as well as training your eye - two things that will serve you well in your ongoing quest to become a better stitcher.