Monday, July 12, 2010

Summertime, and the stitchin' is easy


A few weeks ago, a needlepoint shop contacted me with a request: could I design a Cape Cod doorway for a customer who was fond of my Doorways to the Past series? I already had one Cape doorway--Nantucket--but the customer was looking for one with more of a cottage feel, complete with hydrangeas and a picket fence. I finally came up with this design, called "Cape Cod Summer," which incorporates all the elements that make my part of the world so charming at this time of year!

I shared this photo with a friend, who responded that she wouldn't know where to begin to stitch the canvas. A strange comment, I thought, from someone who is a phenomenal stitcher! It's a fairly straight-forward design and stitch-painted, which takes the guess-work out of where one color ends and the next begins.

Some designers rarely stitch their own canvases, but I always stitch my models as a "test-drive" before painting a master: if there's any "tweaking" to be done, I want the kinks ironed out before the canvas reaches the customer's hands. As I blog-stitch this canvas, I'll be breaking down the individual elements into manageable "bites" of stitching--the easiest way I know to avoid "choking" on a painted canvas, be it an architectural design or an entirely different design theme.

Looking for an armchair vacation to Cape Cod? Join me as I develop a virtual stitch guide for this canvas!

5 comments:

Cool City Stitcher said...

I think we're in for a another treat! Will look forward to watching you do your magic on the shutters, fence, shrubbery, flowers and pathway.

Possibilities, Etc. said...

I agree! Lots of small, pretty details in this one. I look forward to watching!! (and learning)

Anonymous said...

This is why your blog is so wonderful! Many people feel the same way when approaching a canvas that has lots of detail. Where to begin? Now you can show everyone exactly how to do it - one detailed area at a time. I look forward to this.

Front Range Stitcher said...

Count me in, I'll be watching. Especially anxious to see you bring the pathway to life.

By the way, "Something Fishy This Way Comes" is delightful. I loved seeing your work in the current issue of "Needlepoint Now."

Anne Stradal said...

Thank you, Madonna! I enjoyed sharing this design with everyone!