Winding up the clock

Working diligently on the background, I cleared the center of the canvas so I could start stitching the clock!

The original clock upon which mine is based was constructed of cherry, so I rummaged through my stash and found a thread just the right color: Sheep's Silk "Camel," a silk/wool blend that appears more "mottled" than "overdyed." The subtlety of its variegation makes it ideal for imitating the grain in wood. The rounded top was worked in a satin stitch, with the rest of the case in either tent or slanted gobelin stitches.

The inside of the clock case was stitched with the same thread as the chair: Impressions #1112. But for the clock, I used only one strand in basketweave--over a canvas already painted dark brown--so the inside recedes and the case dominates. Visually, there's a big difference between one strand or two, isn't there?

The face of the clock was tent-stitched in DMC floss, using white, #318 for the circle around the dial, and black for the hands. I had originally painted in all 12 hour positions, but when I went to stitch them they were positioned just too close together to look right. I finally gave up gracefully and indicated only the 12, 3, 6 and 9 positions.

The pendulum was stitched with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002V. The drop was worked in tent stitches, while the weight was worked in a satin stitch first in one direction, then in another with the canvas turned 90 degrees to pad this area and make it look rounder.

All that remains to be stitched is the shawl on the left, which I hope to finish by the end of the week!