Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Jeffrey's Hooked!


The Little Red Lighthouse is finished, providing a nice spot of color this morning as little snowflakes fall gently on our part of the Cape.

The trees were a bit tricky to execute on this canvas: I was looking for a bit of texture without overwhelming the fence surrounding the lighthouse. I also was looking for a slightly lighter shade of green to maintain the hazy look at the horizon. Wildflowers "Evergreen," a hand-dyed cotton thread, was in my stash and just the color I was looking for.
Two strands of this thread are recommended for 18-count canvas, but after a very few diagonal vertical oblong cross stitches, it was obviously too heavy. One strand was just right!

Wildflowers "Moss" was also in my stash, a good color for the grass. I was aiming for a heavier, "clumpy" look--after all, the grass needed to hold its own against the perle cotton of the fencing and lighthouse foundation. Here two strands of Wildflowers worked well in a diagonal cashmere stitch. With the addition of the small fence in tent stitches, again using black DMC #5 perle cotton, Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse was completed!

2 comments:

Possibilities, Etc. said...

I'm always amazed at your knowledge and use of threads and stitches for the greatest effects - and without cluttering a nice canvas. Cutting back to one ply of Wildflowers just proves that these things aren't "carved in stone." It's experience and common sense that should rule. This very colorful and charming lighthouse is one of my favorites!

Anonymous said...

So many details in a very tiny canvas! We all learn so much from your discussion of threads, colors, and stitches. I love that this one isn't white, so this one and the teal one are definitely favorites of mine.