I've finished stitching the Bass Harbor Head lighthouse ornament for my friend, and thought it would be fun to do a side-by-side comparison of this version with the model I stitched back in 1999.One big difference is in the way I stitched the rocks the second time around. I still used DMC floss here, but needle-blended the different strata and stitched over the dividing lines. Starting with the rocks closest to the tower, I used four plies of DMC floss #648 in a satin stitch, then moved down one layer using two plies of DMC floss #648 and two plies of DMC floss #647. By the time I reached the bottom layer, I used four plies of DMC floss #646.
Except for the Kreinik metallic braid used for the beacon, all the threads in the original version were DMC floss. The second time around, I added some silk-wool blends--Impressions and Sheep's Silk--for the trees and grass to give these areas a softer look.
Probably the most noticeable change is in the way I worked the sky: needle-blended for a more realistic appearance and to give the overall canvas more depth. Amazing, isn't it, the little tricks and techniques we pick up in the course of stitching over 13 years?
6 comments:
It is amazing! I love the sky and the other changes you've made.
I love the look of the rocks. I wish more people would do that when doing Santa's beard--the outlines are so clunky and add nothing to the design. Your rocks are so smooth you just want to rub them!
Very nice...and of course the sky is my favorite.
Where would we be if we didn't learn as we grew?
The needle blending makes such a big difference. The rocks and the trees are much nicer now as well. The original was good, but the new version is terrific!
The needle blending makes a big difference. The rocks and trees really rock this time as well. The original was good but the new version is terrific!
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