Monday, November 3, 2008

Bored With Borders Yet?

Not Me!
I love thinking up new and different types of borders. (Can you tell?!?)

So, I'm going to show you another border trick you might want to use some time....

First, let me tell you how it came about (it's one of those HAPPY ACCIDENTS that occur when you just GO FOR IT, trusting your creative instincts to lead you somewhere wonderful). ANYWAY... I was trying to come up with a good teaching project (something fun, slightly challenging but not hard,with fast results and yet adaptable to several color combinations - gee, that should be real easy, huh?).
While stitching PRIMROSE PATH, I enjoyed the floral tapestry pattern so much, I decided to use it in a smaller project. Since California Poppies were on my mind, I stitched this version first:


I jazzed up my usual plain satin stitched border with metallic insets. I liked it well enough, but it just wasn't as ELEGANT as I wanted it to be. I felt it needed SOMETHING, but I didn't know what exactly. Then I decided to try the "repeat border" technique I used on that green Diane Evans piece I showed you a few days ago.
Here's how it looked after I repeated the border:


Oooooooh....much better! See how I repeated the first border, but slightly darkened the orange colors, and expanded the corner sections so they echoed the first border? Suddenly, the piece had more elegance, more pizazz and definitely a more eye-catching border. (And see...I snuck in a narrow row of the variegated color - in between both borders, to pull the variegated colors out to the border, and also to create a calming rest between those two elaborate metallic borders.)

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

8 comments:

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

Another fascinating border technique! I am dying to try some of your ideas but all my current pieces have curved or round edges. :(

Oh, well, I'll remember Laura the Border Queen and try one or all of these later.

Thanks for sharing!
Jane/CH

Love to Stitch 99 said...

I agree with you. The second photo with a double border has a more finished look.

Since I have started reading about all your borders, I am here wondering if I could not find a project in my pile of UFO to which I could apply all this new found knowledge (lol)

Pierrette =^..^=

Cyn said...

Hi,

Love the border!

I'm enjoying seeing all of the border ideas. What's next? :-)

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Theresa said...

Another great piece finished!! The second border did give the piece more substance~ After reading your border suggestions I always find myself thinking of how I can use them on my pieces.... It is contagious!!!! ;-)

Front Range Stitcher said...

I'm certainly not bored. Awe struck but not bored. The double border really made that piece. Thanks for sharing with us.

Coni said...

Oh, so cool! I love the way it transitions from finished to perfection....makes me want to go start stitchin' borders on everything I own!

NCPat said...

These are all wonderful ideas!! I can't wait to see what you will amaze us with next!

Glenda said...

This is why I leave the designing process to the professionals. Something like that would never occur to me.