Thursday, March 31, 2011

A two-for-one special


I finished the "Think Spring!" canvas yesterday! First I added the lettering in tent stitches with DMC floss #336, the same shade as the checkerboard border. Then I completed the flower petals and buds with the Silk & Ivory.

For the leaves, I used more silk/wool blend threads: Sheep's Silk "Green Leaves Dark" for the lighter green and Impressions #5011 for the darker green. The leaves were worked in long stitches and the stems in--three guesses!--stem stitch. Lastly I added the stamens in tent stitches and French knots with DMC floss #741.

The second photo here is a flashback to 2003, when I stitched the model for this canvas. I thought it would be fun to see what changes were made between the two versions--not just in the color choices but also in the selection of stitches and threads.

The borders were worked exactly the same--Scotch stitches and slanted gobelin stitches in perle cotton. The older version, however, has a white background of diagonal mosaic stitches. The flowers, buds and leaves were worked in the perle cotton as well--my LNS at the time either didn't yet carry Silk & Ivory or only stocked limited colors. Sometimes we take for granted the explosion in the variety of threads now available to us compared to as little as eight years ago!

Leaving the colorway aside, I know which version I prefer--what do you think?

11 comments:

Kelly said...

I like the suttle colors in the blue piece. We are so lucky to have all the great thread choices of today. Thanks for sharing this was fun to look at.

Cool City Stitcher said...

Hmm.. I like both of them, but if I were stitching it, I'd go with the navy/white combo.

LIZ said...

I like the basketweave background on the blue piece. And I think I like the wool better than the pearl cotton. I like both colorways. Fun to compare!

Needle Nicely said...

The navy one looks so crisp and sharp--but I like the more muted shades in the original. The lace lends an elegant touch.

Anonymous said...

It is rather fascinating to see the difference a few different stitch and thread choices make. Thank you!

Jane said...

I tend to love color contrasts so I prefer the blue bordered one. I love comparing the two,though. It's a great lesson in stitch choices.

Jane said...

As I keep comparing the two, I have to say this was also an interesting lesson in thread choices. I never use cotton floss but I love how the flowers stand out against the background on the blue framed design. Interesting... You've given me some food for thought.

Anonymous said...

I like them both and if you ever tire of one or decide yu don't need two...I know a great home! ;-)

Edy said...

The basketweave on the blue version seems to make the three flowers "pop" more, but both are beautiful.

Love to Stitch 99 said...

I like the finishing on the green one. It is a nice way to finish it.

Pierrette =^..^=

Jan said...

I think I like the blue version better as well. I like the color of the flowers much more than the green version. Will this one be finished in the same way? Thank you for sharing how you stitched the petals for these crocuses. We all learn from your stitching.