Just Call Me Rumpelstiltskin

Sorry I haven't been blogging much this month. I've been soooo busy on a variety of fronts that I just haven't had time to sit down, draw a deep breath, and think about stitching - let alone DO some stitching. Whew. It's been that crazy (but in a good way - grin)....

My latest preoccupation is getting ready for the EGA National Seminar, being held in San Francisco next week. I've signed up for a table at their Wednesday Merchandise Event, which is a fun-filled day of stitchy shopping heaven for all those Seminar attendees.

I've been busy printing lots of patterns. And I also spent some time hand-dying some thread (three different weights of pearl cottons) - which is something I do occasionally. (And before you all ask: unfortunately I'm NOT selling any of my thread on my website. It's just too much work to get into the thread-dying business full-time and it would take me away from my designing work - which is my TRUE passion. And besides, there are already lots of different thread companies out there that provide us with plenty of hand-dyed threads.) Anyway, it's really messy, back-breaking work, but as you might imagine, having lots of luscious thread at the end is well worth all the effort.

I feel like the girl in the old fairy tale that is stuck in a room with pile of straw and told to weave it into gold. Here's what my boring "pile of straw" looked like before I started:


At this point, I get into my old paint-spattered clothes, slip on some plastic gloves and start painting thread....

And here's what it looks like after it has been rinsed and is drying on the line:


Then it needs to be twisted back into skeins and labeled, but here's what all the hard work is about:


My straw has been turned into stitching GOLD: lots and lots of gorgeous thread to play with....dream with...and ultimately -- stitch with!

So, if you're lucky enough to be going to the EGA Seminar in September, please stop by and say "Hi" ... and check out all my treasure!

In Your Stash: variegated threads

While re-organizing my stash of threads last week, I got to thinking about the various types of variegated threads I consider crucial to have on hand.

My first choice to always have on hand is green variegated threads, because they are sooooo handy for creating complex and dappled greenery, such as bushes, trees, grass, and leaves.


Monochromatic or more mixed in colors, greens are invaluable for creating the illusion of depth in a canvas. It's really a very simple "shortcut" to creating a sophisticated look in your project. Here's a variegated tree from one of my house designs, to show you what I mean:


Another necessary variegated thread color is brown - or rather all sorts of browns and greys and rusts. Why change thread colors for individual bricks in a walkway or chimney when you can let the variegated thread do the color changing for you? (Hey, save your concentration for those really challenging projects, and let the thread do the color-changing work when you are stitching lots of tedious bricks or stones or shingles.)


Here's a walkway done with variegated browns and greys just like stones:


Oooooohhhh, and here's another MUST HAVE color: yellow!


You know...for all those glowing windows inside your houses... whether you use bright yellows or softer oranges, they really add a cheerful and cozy look to a stitched house. Don't you agree?


And how about all those Santas you stitch every year? Have you tried a variegated red for your santa's coat? And there are soooo many different reds - bright, dark, victorian, dull - it all depends on the look and feel you want your santa to convey...


And then there are variegated oranges you'll need for all those pumpkins you stitch.... and purples for witches cloaks.... and pinks for little girls' dresses..... blues for skies..... whites for santas beards.... You see how variegated threads can change your stitching life?!

So, next time you're in your Local Stitchery Store, take a look at all the variegated thread, and maybe grab a skein or two or three or more just to have in your stash.... (Trust me, you'll find a use for them sometime, somehow, somewhere -- I promise...)

My Glass Jewels

Once in a while, I get the urge to pull out my fused glass materials and make a batch of fused glass "jewels" in my tiny jewelry kiln. They're very fun to make, and I like looking at the surprise "jewels" that are created. I've always thought they'd be great accents on needlepoint projects; and indeed, that was the reason I bought the small kiln many years ago.

I've only used the jewels on a few projects. It's harder than I thought to a) mass-produce lots of the same jewels, and b) create just the right jewels for certain projects. One of the best uses of fused glass jewels happened in my PURPLE PANELS design. Here's the whole design, which works vertically:


or horizontally:


I wanted to create something elegant and abstract, that could also incorporate a fused glass jewel in the design. And all of the blocks of patterns were really fun to stitch up.

This design also uses one of my favorite design tricks: I pick a variegated thread color I like, and then stitch it with several different colors to see how the variegated colors change when they're mixed with different solid colors. The Waterlilies' color I used here was 06 - "Amethyst" because it has such a yummy mix of blues, purples and greens. Here you can see it mixed with DMC 340, periwinkle blue.

The orchid colors you see above (DMC 552 & 553) are used again in the lower boxes. And they pick up the amethyst colors in the attached fused glass jewel as well.









All in all,







this is another one of my favorite pieces, and I never tire of looking at the different elements that make up this sophisticated abstract design.

Oh, YUMMERS!

I just got a packet of Caron Collection's twelve newest thread colors:


These are the WATERCOLOURS versions, but they're also out in WILDFLOWERS and WATERLILIES.

Here are their names, from the top of the photo:

Barely Blue
Porcelain Blue
Cornflower Blue
Ink
Primrose
Geranium
Claret
Spearmint
Garden Path
Black Hills
Prairie Grass
Sunflower Seed

Aren't they delicious? And their names are worthy of designs using those names, I think....ANYWAY, I was glad to get these new threads and have no doubt they will inspire a several new designs in the coming months.

"For Amber Waves of Grain..."

I have to say that I love all my Impressionist Collection designs, because they are each so colorful and unique. Every one is a favorite. But... AMBER WAVES really is one of my all-time favorite designs.


The inspiration for this piece comes from the line in the song, AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: "Oh, beautiful, for spacious skies; for amber waves of grain..." and I worked very hard to choose patterns that echoed those waving fields of grain. (Although, I have had some stitchers tell me they thought the title referred to golden ocean waves - which could also work!) I deliberately used wavy border lines in the design (instead of hard 90-degree angles) to soften the design and suggest organic movement of waving wheatfields. (Although, I confess that counting out and stitching those tent-stitched meandering lines were tedious - but well worth the effect when they were done!)

Anyway, one of the reasons I like this pattern is because I found so many of the patterns really fun to stitch. I loved the simple zig zag rows that suggest fields of grain. And the box pattern is another fun one to stitch (hmmm, I guess they could represent little cereal boxes!) The square patterns also remind me of flying over the country and looking down on all the fascinating patterns of farmland you can see from the sky.


And then the ungulating wavy rows are so simple and easy to stitch...it's especially fun to watch the sequence of variegated colors appear in the rows. (The variegated threads I used were Watercolours and Wildflowers 036 "Tobacco" a satisfyingly surprising colorway of gold, raspberry and sage.) Between the fat rows, there are smaller rows stitched in metallics that add a subtle shimmer of copper and gold.


And I LOVED creating this really great wheat pattern in the lower half of the design. The gold bugle beads were added last, to create extra dimension and the added illusion of a waving wheatfield.

Notice that the same wheat pattern is stitched in two different thread weights - a fine thread in the center area, and a thicker thread in the border area. It's one of my most favorite stitching techniques, because it's actually very simple to execute, and yet it creates so much dimension, richness, and complexity to the overall look and feel of the piece.

More Kimono Trios

As long as I'm showing you the kimono series, I thought I'd show you photos of the other two.....

THREE SPRINGTIME KIMONOS


and THREE WINTER KIMONOS


They each use just one variegated colorway - with a trio of separate accent colors. And isn't the variety amazing? Pretty neat illusion, huh? Something to think about when you're stitching a project and you need a way to tie separate elements together. Remember: LET THE VARIEGATED THREAD DO THE WORK FOR YOU. This is a really good way to pick out thread colors. Find a variegated thread you like and then match your solid colors to it. Chances are, you won't go too far wrong if your colors match the variegated skein.

(And no, there isn't an autumnal trio. I think I ran out of kimono energy and never got back to designing the last in the series.....sigh, I'll just add it to the list of 1,534 other projects waiting to be created in my head....)

The Old Switcheroo

While I'm talking about the fun of working with variegated threads, I should show you how my "Switcheroo Effect" works on some of my kimono patterns. Here's one of my kimono trios: THREE SUMMER KIMONOS. (I also have THREE WINTER KIMONOS and THREE SPRINGTIME KIMONOS, which also use the same technique.)


Anyway, I used the SAME variegated thread for all three kimonos...but I used THREE DIFFERENT solid color accents (with a matching metallic). Each kimono takes on the tone of the solid color yet they all blend together because they have the same variegated foundation thread (I used The Thread Gatherer's Silk 'n Colors 056 -"Mermaid Shimmer".) I was curious to see how much of a color change would occur when I tried a trio of Switcheroos.... and I was pleased to see how well my idea worked.


Here's the kimono on the left. The primary foundation of the kimono patterns is done with the variegated silk, and the accent stitches are worked with a sage green (it's the color of the tent-stitched lining area.)


And here's the middle kimono. The accent color is the dark teal silk in the lining area. Isn't it amazing how much darker the middle kimono is, having the darker accent color worked thruout the pattern?

Finally, here's the kimono on the right, which uses a turquoise accent color.

Please notice the different composite stitch patterns used on each of the kimonos. I consider it a point of honor NOT to repeat my stitch patterns, so I always have fun creating new and different stitch combinations for all my designs.

These kimonos are worked on 24 ct. pale green Congress Cloth and the overall size of the design is 5" high and 15" long. I've also stitched just one of the kimonos by itself, and they're equally fun to stitch.

Blackwork Mystery, part 2

Are you ready for part 2 of the Blackwork Mystery? Here's the completed part 2 of my stitched model for you to study:


In part 2, you'll be stitching the next "layer" of stitches in a solid color. That color can be harmonious with your variegated thread (like my turquoise is with my variegated thread) or it can be a contrasting color (to create a stronger tension between the colors). Below are the three threads I used in my model: a blue/green/purple variegated floss I dyed myself; DMC 807 floss; and Kreinik Blending Filament 014HL - a fine, bright silvery blue.



One of the nice things about blackwork is: it doesn't take a lot of thread, especially when you're working on fine fabric and you're stitching with just one ply of a 6- or 12-ply strand. I've worked all of my part 2 with one ply of the 6-ply cotton floss, DMC 807... and I think I must have only used 2 or 3 strands MAX. So you're thread goes a LONG WAY in blackwork. ( Also, you can certainly stitch this design in just one color ...or one color and a gold metallic, perhaps - like traditional blackwork!)

[ASIDE: You may be tempted to correct my use of ply instead of strands... yes, I'm well aware of the technical difference between them. However, when I started writing my patterns I made the decision to use the term "ply" instead of "strand" because: 1) it just became too cumbersome and confusing to repeatedly tell stitchers to use just one strand - but I mean one strand of the three-stranded Watercolours or one strand of the six-strand cotton, etc.; and frankly, 2) since the majority of stitchers are not creating their own threads by actually twisting 2 or 3 plies of raw cotton or silk fiber, I felt I could borrow the "ply" terminology to make my patterns more understandable to stitchers. So, unless we're talking about creating thread by twisting raw fiber into plied strands, I'm using the term "ply" to mean one of the individual strands of the larger strand... Sheesh.See how confusing that STRAND usage gets???]

Anyway... back to the blackwork! I wanted to tell you that there are three different stitches that can be used for blackwork: 1) Backstitch; 2) Double Running Stitch; and 3) Running Backstitch. However, in my experience, the regular Backstitch (the stitch you use to outline all your cross stitch areas) is not the best choice for blackwork because it can create SHADOWS on the backside of your fabric as you work your 45 or 90-degree stitch angles. Frankly, it's too sloppy to use in blackwork, where you want all your lines and angles to be crisp and even - on the back as well as the front.

A better choice would be the Double Running Backstitch or the Running Backstitch. Now let me explain their advantages. With the Double Running Backstitch you stitch every other space - sort of leap-frogging over every other stitch, then you turn around and hop, hop, hop - fill in the remaining spaces with more stitches until the whole line is complete. This way of stitching can be lots of fun. It makes you plan out your line of stitching in advance. It works great for solid colors. BUT: if you're using a variegated thread, you'll fracture the color flow and your stitching line will have broken colors - it will have a more confetti look to it, which may or may not work for you.

My personal favorite is the Running Backstitch (where you complete each stitch as you come to it, going first in one direction, then the next stitch goes in the other direction) because you follow the stitching line accurately, you don't get too far afield (like when you stitch every other stitch), you minimize the shadowing problem, and best of all - when you use a variegated thread, you keep the colors flowing naturally one stitch at a time, all the way along the line.
And let me mention right now: THIS IS NOT REVERSIBLE BLACKWORK. Nope. I'm not into doing reversible blackwork. I just try to be as neat as possible and as I'm stitching away on the top, I try to be aware of what my stitches are doing on the back ("Hey you guys, are you behaving yourselves back there? Are you staying neat and tidy? ...No stragglers? Knots?.. Good-O! Carry on...")

Garden Party, Anyone?

I have an unquenchable fascination with variegated threads. I simply NEVER get tired of playing around with them....mixing and matching colors, metallics, ribbons and endless variations of stitches to create interesting ways to show off the variegated threads.

One of the things I love to do is: 1) pick out a variegated thread; 2) select matching solid colors and metallics and/or ribbons; and 3) design some interesting composite stitch patterns and THEN.... see how they look together!

One of my favorite challenges is to work the same patterns in different sections of a symetrical geometric - BUT SWITCH THE VARIEGATED AND SOLID COLORS IN ALTERNATING SECTIONS. And the fun is seeing how my "Switcheroo Effect" alters the overall look of the piece.

My recent GARDEN PARTY piece, shown above, shows off this magical effect to perfection. (This 6.5" x 6.5" design was stitched on 24 ct. mocha Congress Cloth; if it were stitched on 18 ct. it would be 8.5" x 8.5". And the variegated thread I used in this design is Waterlilies 112 - "Fir", with #8 pearl cotton 367.)

Here's a closeup of the lighter, left-hand side (which has the primary patterns worked with the variegated thread, and the accent stitches done in the lavender color). You can count the five different patterns within this main block. And see how the variegated colors look with the lavender accents? Much lighter and brighter, isn't it? It also shows off the soft, lovely colors of the variegated thread.

Now look at the right side, which switches the threads....so the solid lavender color makes up the primary patterns, with the variegated thread in the accent position. Here the solid color lavender makes up the bulk of the block, so the section feels much darker and heavier...and the variegated colors have faded into the background. (Also note that the sparkly lavender metallic thread is used in the same places for BOTH versions.)


















I've also swapped the threads in the woven border accent areas - using the lavender thread in the outer borders (to create darkness and heaviness), and using the variegated thread for the inner sashes (to create a lighter, softer feel).

The overall design, with it's hedge green borders, reminded me of an abstract knot garden...hence the title, "GARDEN PARTY."

I designed this pattern to be a fun color challenge for all those stitchers who enjoy changing the colors and making their own unique version. So, Stitchers.... care to try creating your own Garden Party??

Stitch With Me!

In my July 16th posting, I talked about all the geometric patterns that are appearing in decorating magazines. Well, looking at all those geometrics got me itching to start stitching some blackwork patterns based on those geometrics. I've been so focused on my other designs this year, that I haven't done any blackwork in quite a while and I miss it. So.....

Here's what I've come up with:


I've decided to whip up a little BLACKWORK MYSTERY SAMPLER for those of you who might like to give blackwork a try. Here's what I'm going to do: I'll post the graphs on my website: www.ljperindesigns.com, under the FREE PATTERNS page. Go there and print out the graphs. You might want to print out this blog page as well. [Aside: the graphs posted on my website are the best I can manage. If you need the graphs to be larger, please take them to a copy shop and get them enlarged.]

This little BLACKWORK MYSTERY SAMPLER will be stitched in THREE PARTS. Each part will add another layer to the design. The photo above shows PART ONE completed. (If you go back to my previous blog posting, you can pick out some of the geometric patterns I've used...)I will post PART 1 now, and in a week or so I'll post PART 2, followed in a few more weeks with the final PART 3.

And here is the materials list, if you're interested in stitching along:

DESIGN COUNT: 120 threads by 120 threads

DESIGN SIZE:
on 24/25 ct. Lugana: 5" x 5"
on 22 ct. Hardanger: 5.5" x 5.5"
on 18 ct. aida: 6.5" x 6.5"
on 16 ct. aida: 7.5" x 7.5"
on 14 ct. aida: 8.5" x 8.5"

(I recommend a light-colored fabric, such as white, ivory, ecru... but if you really want to be creative, you could try it on a dark fabric, using very light threads - it's up to you!)

THREADS: You can stitch the whole design (all three parts) in one color if you wish. Or...
You can stitch each part in a different color/type of thread, like this:
- PART 1 in a dark solid color (or a dark-to-medium variegated color)
- PART 2 in a medium-to-light accent solid color
- PART 3 in a metallic accent that matches your solid accent color

The type of thread you choose will depend on which count of fabric you use. The finer the fabric count, the finer thread weight you'll need. I'm working on 22 ct. white Hardanger, with just ONE PLY of a 6-ply cotton floss (shown above) that I've dyed myself in a variegated blue/green/purple colorway. You can see when it's stitched, there's a very subtle color change thruout the overall design.

You can also use silk thread, as well as a single-ply cotton such as Bravo! or Wildflowers - in solid or variegated colors. The different thread thicknesses are shown in the photo on the right. On the right is variegated cotton floss; on the left is a Bravo! or Wildflowers weight (see how a single ply is slightly heavier than one ply of the floss?) One way to test the colors is to lay ONE PLY of whichever thread you're considering against the fabric. You can then see how fine it will look, as well as how much of the coloring will show up. Darker colors will show up better and the lines will look crisper; lighter colors will be muted and create a paler, watercolory effect. The photo below shows how the two threads look when they are stitched.

Are you interested?
Well, ON YOUR MARKS...GET SET....STITCH!

[For those who might be interested: Stitchers - YES, you have my permission to teach this project in your guild groups - but please give me copyright credit for this design. And NO, this pattern is NOT for resale in any form. I will not be kitting it up or selling it in pattern form. This pattern is just for us all to blogstitch - to have fun experimenting and playing with. Okay?]

Speaking of Chocolate...

Stitching up some yummy ribbon designs is almost as good as indulging in a box of chocolates...(well, not exactly the same, but just as fun!)

And lately, I've had an absolute craving to stitch up some ribbons in the currently popular color combo of turquoise/aqua and brown. I've been seeing that particular color combination in decorating magazines for several years now, and I've really wanted to create a ribbon design with those colors.

But first I had to find a suitable variegated #5 pearl cotton to use as the foundation. That was harder than you might think.....There are lots of variegated colors out there, but not one that was just the right turquoise/aqua and brown. Well...finally, Caron Collection came out with Watercolours 180 - Green Tea, and HOORAY! that was close enough for me to use. I grabbed a few skeins and started stitching....

Here's what it looked like when I first put in the basic ribbon foundations:
I matched the variegated thread with a darker tan, DMC 738 & 739, for the ribbon borders.

And I decided to work on the dark brown canvas, to make those ribbons stand out.
But at this stage, everything looks pretty pale and washed out, doesn't it?

Fortunately, I went to my local stitchery store - The Regal Rabbit in Windsor, CA - and came home with some scrumptious turquoise threads, in lots of different textures.


And now look what happens when you add some turquoise to those bland tan colors...
The ribbons start to get dimensional...and the whole project starts to liven up!

And then of course, you get to add a little bit of sparkle on top of the turquoise....and things REALLY start to sing!

Here's a peek at another of the big ribbons...For this design, I've even splurged and added some turquoise Very Velvet Petite for a special accent on the ribbons. (Can you spot it?)

Well, back to stitching on these ribbons....I'll unveil the whole design to you when I finish stitching it....(and hopefully, this new design will be available mid-June, so check on my website: www.ljperindesigns.com later this month if you're interested!)

Wrapt Up in Ribbons

I have an on-going fascination with creating ribbon patterns. I was first smitten with stitched ribbons when I worked on a Carol Costello piece 'way back in the '80s, called HAPSBURG LACE. ..I LOVED working on that canvaswork piece of interwoven ribbons. It's still one of my all-time favorite pieces.

And I've always wanted to create my own design of interwoven ribbons. But where do you even begin? Over the last few years, I started by adding a few bits of ribbons in my floral collage pieces. It was so much fun to mix & match stitches and threads to create pieces of ribbon, that I finally had the confidence to sit down and design my first interwoven ribbon pattern called FLORAL RIBBONS.


I've always wanted to stitch something in apricot and green as well....because my sister Diane stitched her own design of woven ribbons back in the '80s, using that color combination, and it always stuck in my mind as a very lovely color pairing.


Anyway, here's a closeup of some of the floral ribbons:
I just love looking at their supposed complexity, but really, they're made up of very simple stitches - just combined in fun ways - to look more complex than they really are.

And, as usual, I love to incorporate a variegated pearl cotton thread....using it as the foundation of the color palette, and then choosing my colors from that variegated thread.


Here are more floral ribbons from FLORAL RIBBONS.
You can see how the variegated thread is used in a bargello-type ribbon that really adds drama to the overall piece.

And above it, inside the apricot zig-zag ribbon, you can see the variegated thread is used to create the large smyrna star flowers...Yet another way to use variegated thread!

Yum....these ribbons are almost as delicious as a box of chocolates (but not nearly as fattening!)

Pulling Threads

Yesterday I mentioned the new projects I've just started.

Well, here are the bunches of threads I pulled for each new design.


The first one is for the new floral collage. This will be a delicate spring flower, done in cool greens and the softest of pinks and whites (maybe a little pale blue or lavender, if it's called for).... I'm using Watercolours' 141 - Alpine Moss, which is a thread I've been eager to use for some time - but I had to find JUST the right flower to use it on. (I won't tell you what the flower is....but I'll show you glimpses of it later, as I get started stitching...)

The other bunch of threads I pulled is for a new quilt design I'm thinking of calling MORNING GLORY because it's a happy, vibrant quilt that shows off lots of blues and purples, with a dash of fuchsia.

This particular color combination, with Watercolours' 192 - "Elderberry Wine", is one I seem to crave every winter. The colors remind me of winter - lots of cool blues and purples with a bright punch of teal or fuchsia. I used this same color combination last year on STARRY NIGHTS...and again, just recently on my new NORDIC SNOWFLAKES. I just can't resist those deep jewel-tone colors....they are very wintery, January colors to me...

So....now that all the threads are pulled, and the canvases are attached to their stretcher bars, it's time for me to get to work -- stitching, stitching and more stitching!

New Year, New Projects!

I celebrated the first day of the New Year by watching the Rose Parade and sketching out some new designs.

I realized I hadn't stitched a quilt in a while, so I decided to look through the quilt blocks on Electric Quilter (a software program for quilters to design their own quilts). It's one of the best resources I've found to search for quilt blocks. Sometimes I'm inspired by the quilt block's name...sometimes it's the block's arrangement that catches my eye. In any event, there are so many hundreds of quilt blocks, that it doesn't take long to find an interesting block and then start playing around with colors and compositions. And voila! I print out a draft layout of the desired quilt, and I have a quilt design that inspires me to start stitching....

I also realized that I needed to start another flower collage...it's been some time since I've done a new one of those too! So I sketched out a collage composition, and then sketched in some different patterns and ribbons to fit the various sections. And another design is now ready to stitch...

But of course, one of the most important elements of any new project is picking out the variegated thread I'm going to use. EVERYTHING depends on the colors within that variegated thread. So I spend a lot of time pawing through my drawer of threads, looking for JUST the right color combination that will work in whichever design I'm working on at the moment.

The next step? Cutting the canvas and attaching it to stretcher bars. Then I'm ready to start stitching. And then it's my FAVORITE part of the whole process: starting to stitch on a new project.....

Here's to a wonderful New Year, filled with wonderful New Projects!
(Now go celebrate the New Year by starting one of your own...)