The Cape Stitcher

Still plugging along

2012-01-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

At long last, Geoffrey's vest is finished. He doesn't have any buttons for the vest yet--I need to do some button shopping for his coat, and want the two styles to be compatible. But at least you can now get the full effect of the houndstooth pattern.

I've also finished his shirt, continuing the tone-on-tone striped pattern from the collar, using three plies of white DMC floss.

I shipped out a trunk show today to Old World Designs in Menlo Park, California (www.oldworlddesigns.com), which will extend from February 4 through February 25. So with not much remaining to be stitched on Geoffrey, I'm hoping to be able to finish him pretty quickly!

Collared!

2012-01-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

I was snowed in yesterday, so spent all morning and much of the afternoon painting canvases. But in between the Patriots-Ravens playoff (yeah!) and the Giants-'49ers game (boo!), I managed to finish Geoffrey's coat.

After working a little more on his vest, it became clear that this gentleman needed a crisp, white shirt! The collar was worked with three plies of white DMC floss in rows of basketweave three threads wide, alternating with a row of stem stitches.

I still have a fair amount of stitching to do, but I think I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel!

A little more progress

2012-01-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

Poor Geoffrey--his mother seems to be taking her good, sweet time getting him dressed! I finally squeezed in a little stitching time last night, so I thought I'd post another wardrobe update.

One lapel of his coat is now finished. What I thought would be a satin stitch filler actually turned out to be a vertical diagonal cashmere stitch because of the placement of the stripes. When I started working on the lapel on the right, I turned the canvas 90 degrees and began stitching a horizontal diagonal cashmere stitch.

Just for fun, I also started filling in the houndstooth pattern on his vest, using DMC floss #413 in basketweave. It's a darker thread than the Vineyard Silk Classic "Heron" used on his coat, so it stands out nicely. It's back to painting for me now, but maybe tonight I'll have a chance to rendevous with Geoffrey again!

A little here, a little there

2012-01-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

I really have been pretty diligent in working on Geoffrey's wardrobe in the last few days--just not so diligent about taking progress photos!

I've established the pattern for Geoffrey's coat--a chalk stripe--using Vineyard Silk Classic "Heron" in vertical slanted gobelin stitches over three threads, alternating with a vertical row of tent stitches using Vineyard Silk Classic "Bright White." I've stitched the white stripes on one of the lapels, too, but need to decide how to fill in the gray. The stripes on the lapels are oriented on the diagonal since the fabric for this part of the coat is cut on the bias.

Geoffrey's trousers have been stitched, too, with Vineyard Silk Classic "Pewter" in slanted gobelin stitches over two threads alternating with a row of tent stitches.

His outfit may be looking a bit monochromatic at this point, but I'm hoping to add a little "zing" with my treatment of his accessories! And no, I still haven't added the houndstooth pattern to his vest. I wanted to get the larger elements "set in stone" first--grays can be funny, tending either to overtones of blue or brown, and getting part of the coat and trousers finished will make it easier for me to choose just the right secondary shade for the vest.

A vested interest

2012-01-13T06:22:00.000-08:00

Each night this week, I've been working a little on Geoffrey, beginning with his houndstooth vest, or waistcoat. This part of his wardrobe is a scaled-down version of his friend Neville's vest (right), worked in mosaic stitches with DMC #5 perle cotton. Because Geoffrey is one-quarter the size of Neville, his houndstooth pattern was reduced to tent stitches.

Like the edging for Neville's vest, Geoffrey's was worked in DMC #5 perle cotton--#415--in diagonal oblong cross stitches over two threads, but the body was stitched in basketweave. Because there are a lot of stops and starts in stitching around the darker areas, I approached this as if I were stitching around letters in a canvas with a name--a stocking cuff, for instance--or with a saying. When I reach an area with darker areas, I simply skip over them to the next lighter thread to be stitched--it makes for a smoother basketweave surface this way. Four plies of DMC floss #415 were used for the background, giving a lighter-weight appearance to Geoffrey's vest while maintaining the look of a "hard" finish.

I need to go back now to fill in the houndstooth pattern itself--stay tuned!

By request

2012-01-11T07:06:00.001-08:00

My "chicks" have come home to roost--for now! Yesterday, the models for my designs based on The Nutcracker ballet arrived from the finisher--Stitchery Square in Camden, Maine.

Many of you had asked that I show them here when they'd been finished, and I was so pleased with the way they turned out, I just had to share. They've been finished exactly per my instructions: slightly raised, with flat backs, and simple cording--I'm not keen on "fussy" ribbons and such, as I think they distract from the design itself.

You'll note that the cording ( the velveteen backing, too) exactly matches the background color of the individual ornament. Over the years, my finisher and I have worked out our own "system" to make her job easier: I mark each canvas with the DMC number used in the background before I send them off. That way she doesn't have to fret over a color match--selecting just the right shade of blues and greens, for instance, can be particularly tricky.

The Rogues Gallery

2012-01-09T05:52:00.001-08:00

These "little people" have been hanging out at our house since early December, but DH announced yesterday morning that he was taking down the Christmas tree. I wished him luck and headed to my studio to paint. When I finally emerged at lunchtime, this is what I found on the loveseat in the family room--102 cylindrical ornaments, all lined up and waiting for me to put away!

Some will go back in storage, while the lucky ones will be put aside for the trunk show next month at Old World Designs in California. I began stitching these about 18 years ago and, with one exception, are all of my own design. I've never seen them assembled in quite this way before, and couldn't miss the opportunity to snap a photo!

Savile Row: The Spring Line

2012-01-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

Where have I been for the past week? Well, painting mostly, in preparation for a trunk show next month at Old World Designs in Menlo Park, California. But I've also been noodling a new design for the Savile Row series--something a little lighter and brighter for spring, but just as dapper as the gents sporting their woolies.

If any of you read the September/October 2011 issue of Needlepoint Now, you may recognize the outfit on the fellow pictured here. I used Neville, an 11-inch-square design, in that issue to illustrate how easy it can be to replicate fabrics and patterns in needlepoint using simple threads and stitches. Geoffrey, the gentleman I'm introducing today, is a scaled-down version of Neville--only 5-1/2 inches square.

Because he's only one-quarter the size of Neville, Geoffrey needed to have the pattern for his houndstooth waistcoat resized, using tent stitches rather than the mosaic stitches worked in the original design. I also hope to use some different threads from the original in order to mimic lighter-weight fabrics.

I suspect progress on Geoffrey will be a bit slow, as I'm back in paint-by-day, stitch-by-night mode, but do come back to visit--I'm hoping Geoffrey will be as sartorially splendid as his friends!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T06:22:00.000-08:00

As 2011 winds down, I wish all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Thanks for stopping by to follow my explorations in needlepoint--I appreciate your comments and personal messages cheering me on!

Mission accomplished

2011-12-29T05:56:00.000-08:00

Just in time for a new year, Mission San Gabriel Arcangel is finished!

The strip of grass below the stairs was worked in a slanted gobelin stitch with one ply of Wildflowers "Jade." Using the same thread but with two plies, the grassy area in the foreground was worked in a diagonal horizontal cashmere stitch.

I didn't have quite the right shade of thread that I wanted for the trunks of the palm trees, so I decided to make my own thread! I combined three shades of Burmilana--one ply each of 3504H, 3729T and 3506--and worked the trunks in a vertical slanted gobelin stitch. While I'd normally use two plies of Burmilana for basketweave, three plies make the trunks stand out nicely from the buildings behind them.

The shrubs were worked in different green threads and stitches to make them look more realistic. The shrub on the far left was worked in long stitches using one ply of Impressions "Moss." The darkest green shrubs were stitched in French knots with Impressions #5060, while the middle shrub was worked in more French knots with Sheep's Silk "Moss Green." The shrub on the far right was worked in a satin stitch with Impressions "Moss"--no French knots here, so I wouldn't give my framer fits when trying to place a matte around the border.

The fronds of the palm trees used--believe it or not--two different dyelots of Sheep's Silk "Green Leaves Dark." I first worked the darker shade with one ply in long stitches, then added long stitches and stem stitches with the lighter shade on top to give the fronds some dimension.

I'm happy with the way this project turned out, and hope the graduate of the Mission high school who asked me to work up this design is, too!

All but the foliage

2011-12-27T06:00:00.001-08:00

The buildings are finished on the Mission San Gabriel canvas!

When I completed stitching the roof and facade of the building on the left, I popped in the window using DMC floss #3799 for the frame and DMC floss #318 for the panes.

The top of the lamp post was worked in satin and tent stitches with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002V and filled in with DMC floss #745. To make the pole and base look metallic, I used Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #100HL--despite its "high lustre" designation, this thread doesn't have the glitter of other white Kreinik metallics. The base was worked in satin and tent stitches, with the pole worked in stem stitches.

I added a sidewalk in slanted gobelin stitches with DMC floss #644. All that remain to be stitched are the trees, grass and shrubs, which I hope to finish in a few days.

Up on the rooftop

2011-12-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

How appropriate--I've finished the roof of the building on the right just in time for Christmas Eve!

With the same white DMC #5 perle cotton I'd used on the bellwall, I filled in the facade of this building with more Nobuko stitches. The window alcove was stitched in basketweave with DMC cotton floss #415.

For the roof, I used a thread new to me: Weeks Dye Works pearl #5 "Molasses." The variation in color is very subtle in this thread, making the slanted gobelin stitches appear weathered and more realistic than if I'd used a solid colored thread.

As you can see, I've started raising the roof on the building to the left. Since this building is set back slightly from the bellwall, I'm stitching the facade in basketweave with DMC floss #415 to make it recede.

It's time now for me to get in high gear in the baking department, but I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of you the most wonderful of holidays!

Bells are ringing

2011-12-22T05:48:00.001-08:00

This time of year, it's hard to get as much stitching in as we'd like, but I did manage to finish the bellwall for Mission San Gabriel Arcangel.

Using the same white DMC #5 perle cotton that I had on the top, I worked the base of the bellwall in a Nobuko stitch. I've used this stitch before on other missions, as I think it mimics the undulations of stucco well. The steps were worked in a row of slanted gobelin stitches and a row of tent stitches.

The cross, bells and grille for the door were all stitched with DMC cotton floss #3799--it's not as harsh as black and gives kind of a weathered look. The bells are a combination of satin and tent stitches. The area behind the grille was worked in tent stitches with DMC floss #317.

I'll move on to the wall at the right, as I'm anxious to try a new thread for the roofs that I picked up at my LNS yesterday!

Focusing on the sky

2011-12-20T05:46:00.001-08:00

I began work on the San Gabriel Arcangel mission canvas with the sky--not a particularly large area compared to some of my other mission designs, but large enough to add a little visual interest by needle-blending.

Starting at the top of the canvas, with four plies of DMC cotton floss #3755, I worked seven rows deep of basketweave across the sky, staggering the bottom stitches randomly. The next blend of floss--three plies of DMC floss #3755 and one ply of DMC floss #3325--ends at the top of the brown roof on the right and extends across the canvas.
I continued to subtract one ply of DMC floss #3755 and add one ply of DMC floss #3325 until I had reached the top of the brown roof on the left, using one ply of the former and three plies of the latter.

The top of the bellwall has been worked in slanted gobelin stitches with white DMC #5 perle cotton, with the ledges worked in DMC #5 perle cotton #415 in tent stitch. I'll wait to stitch the bells after I've finished the rest of the wall.

A mission to stitch

2011-12-18T06:21:00.001-08:00

I frequently receive requests from folks to adapt their favorite lighthouses to needlepoint, but I rarely get an inquiry about a California mission. A couple of months ago, a stitcher contacted me about Mission San Gabriel Arcangel. She had graduated from the high school located on the mission grounds, and to date had been unable to locate a canvas that would help her capture some happy memories. A few false starts and a couple of magazine deadlines later, I'm adding this ninth design to my Missions of California series!

Father Junipero Serra, known as the "Father of California Missions," commissioned two priests to explore the area near the San Gabriel River. They founded the fourth mission in the chain in 1771 in present-day Montebello. The area proved ideal for farming and raising of livestock. In the early 1800s, vineyards were introduced, with grape-growing and wine-making continuing to the present day.

One of the most distinctive features of Mission San Gabriel Arcangel is its bellwall, or campanario, which unlike other missions is located at the back of the church instead of the front. My stitching friend and I agreed that this would be the focal point of the design, highlighting the mission's six bells of varying sizes.

Do come back and check on my progress as I bring this canvas to life!

Cecil steps out!

2011-12-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

One more dapper gentleman joins the Savile Row series--Cecil is finally finished!

Cecil is the first in the series to sport a bow tie, which I wanted to appear as 3-D as possible. Using Vineyard Silk Classic "Berry," I first satin-stitched each of the three sections of the tie--but in the wrong direction! For the left and center portions, I turned the canvas 90 degrees and kept the canvas in the upright position for the right side. I then went back and satin-stitched each section again so the stitches for the left side and knot are slanted from bottom left to top right, with the right side slanted in the opposite direction. Padding the stitches in this way gives the tie a nice high profile against his pink shirt.

His pocket handkerchief was worked in a diagonal mosaic stitch with DMC floss #3865, a creamy white which blends better with his sweater. His belt buckle was worked in stem stitches with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #001L. At my local fabric store, I found some antique silver buttons for his coat.

I see a trip to the framer's in my future, so Nigel, Liam, Oliver and Cecil can hang out together!

'Tis the season....

2011-12-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

....when I find myself wearing too many hats at one time! DH keeps mentioning decorating the house for the holidays, and I keep giving him a dirty look.

But Cecil is on the home stretch now, thankfully. His trousers have been added, using Trio "Caviar" in alternating rows of slanted gobelin stitch over two canvas threads and tent stitches. His pale pink shirt--yes, pink! I couldn't resist!--was stitched in basketweave with three plies of DMC cotton floss #818, with a vertical row of slanted gobelin stitches over three canvas threads for the placket.

On a recent trip to my LNS, I found the perfect thread for his scarf: Watercolours "Cinnabar." It's a slightly variegated thread , in just the right weight so the scarf stands out against the adjacent sweater and coat. I've worked it in a Nobuko stitch, with looped turkey work for the fringe. The shadow between the drape and longer expanse of the scarf was worked in tent stitches with DMC floss #3685.

Let's see: I still need to stitch the tie, pocket handkerchief, and belt buckle, but I need to find a minute to shop for buttons before working the buckle. Let it never be said that Cecil's wardrobe isn't totally coordinated!

Well coated

2011-12-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

Cecil is a lot warmer, now that his coat is finished!

After working all the Scotch stitches with Felicity's Garden "Granite," I added frames of tent stitches with Trio "Burgundy" for the windowpane pattern. I'm happy with the way the coat sets off the sweater.

Next up: some trousers and a shirt!

A sweater for Cecil

2011-12-01T05:49:00.001-08:00

It's amazing how much stitching you can accomplish riding in a car for three hours!

On the trip to Boston's airport the other day, I started work on Cecil's sweater, using Sheep's Silk "Ivory." The edging along the V neck was worked in oblong cross stitches over two canvas threads, while the ribbing along the hem was done in a Kalem stitch.

The body of the sweater was stitched in braided knitting alternating with a vertical row of tent stitches. To make sure the "cables" ended uniformly along the ribbing, I turned the canvas 90 degrees to begin each row of braided knitting.

A few more hours of stitching back home finished the sweater, so I treated myself by completing the Scotch stitches in Felicity's Garden "Granite" on the right side of the coat.

Reinventing the wheel AND a blog birthday

2011-11-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, the best-laid plans go awry. Such was the case with Cecil's coat, with a windowpane pattern. The windowpane is usually woven into a tweed, which is what I was aiming for. In the photo at left, you can see where I'd started stitching the right-hand side of the coat with the skip-tent technique. Every other canvas thread was stitched with Trio "Natural," with Trio "Black" to follow. Well, the black followed--and created a concentric circle pattern which was definitely NOT what I was expecting. I didn't bother to take a photo--I hate to see grown people cry--or cringe!

While probably more suitable for the coat of a snake-oil salesman, you may actually see this concentric circle pattern eventually on another garment--it's totally neat, but more Carnaby Street than Savile Row--and also for something like a dressing gown or fancy vest.

What to do? Why, paint another canvas, of course! The photo on the right is my second--and final--attempt. I've worked it in a Scotch stitch with Felicity's Garden "Granite," which will later be framed with tent stitches.

I actually started stitching both canvases with the black lapels, belt, pocket flap and buttonholes. No, I'm not totally crazy--I'm familiar enough with black Petite Very Velvet to know its occasional quirks. I've found that approximately one out of four cards of this thread will produce copious fuzz. I tried a little the first time and that was the case, so I kept stitching all the black and, when I was finished, gave the whole canvas a good brushing. Goodbye, black flecks--which would have loved lodging themselves in the soft threads of Trio "Natural" that I used the first time for the top of the sweater vest.

Having pretty much depleted my stash of Trio "Natural," I'll need to switch to another thread to work the sweater, which abuts the coat and must be finished before I can go back to the windowpane pattern.

A Blog Birthday

Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the fourth year of The Cape Stitcher. I'll be on the road early, taking No. 1 son to the airport for his trip back to Kansas--sigh. So I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have visited from time to time, watching my progress in stitching painted canvases. If you enjoy reading about my explorations in needlepoint half as much as I do pursuing them, my time is well spent!

Another man in my life

2011-11-26T05:57:00.000-08:00

The Savile Row series began as an exercise in duplicating patterns and fabrics using simple needlepoint stitches. So far I've stitched tweed coats, sweaters imitating Argyle, Aran and fair isle patterns, and a hounds-tooth waistcoat.

The fourth entry in the series is Cecil, another dapper gent who's a bit more of a dandy than his friends. Cecil is dressed in a sweater vest or jumper, as folks across the pond would call it, with a bow tie and a windowpane-patterned coat.

Do come back and check my progress as I bring Cecil to life!

Just in time for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T05:55:00.000-08:00

As holiday season approaches, one's work schedule often gets knocked into a cocked hat, but I'm happy to report Oliver is ready for Thanksgiving!

To finish his fair isle sweater, I needed to choose a red thread that was neither too bright nor too somber. The winner was Trio "Bordeaux," what I'd call a cherry red, which brightened the sweater considerably.

I'd toyed with the idea of adding a small figural design to his tie and handkerchief, but after finishing the sweater realized that would make the whole piece too busy. I stitched these two areas in a solid lighter cherry red--DMC Satin Floss S326--providing a little bit of pattern by working them in a diagonal mosaic stitch. The canvas was turned 90 degrees to work the knot, then returned to the upright position to stitch the longer expanse of the tie and the handkerchief. I find using two strands of the satin floss doubled in the needle gives me better control of this shiny but somewhat slippery thread.

As a final touch, I sewed on some silver filigree buttons--pretty nifty, don't you think? Oliver is now ready to party, and joins me in wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

More stitch guide news

2011-11-21T06:02:00.000-08:00

Several people have contacted me, asking about the availability of canvases in the Savile Row series. Since these canvases are partially line-drawn and partially painted, I decided stitch guides would be helpful to accompany them. This is especially true for Liam, whose Aran sweater would benefit from a diagram showing stitch placement.

The good news is, Sue Dulle (www.sudukc.wordpress.com) has stepped up to the plate to create some stitch guides for me! She did such a fabulous job on the guide for the ring-bearer pillow, I knew she could work out some diagrams for me with one hand tied behind her back.

Liam's guide is already finished, and Nigel's is in the works. There will be a guide for Oliver, too, as soon as I've finished stitching him--I'm almost there, I promise! And one more dapper gentleman will make up the quartet that I hope to have framed together in time for my first trunk show of 2012!

A little here, a little there

2011-11-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

Oliver continues to warm up a little at a time! I finally finished the "Classic Navy" Trio part of the skip-tent stitch for his coat, but will need to add the white for the canvas threads I'd previously skipped.

I've also made some progress on his fair isle sweater, although it's slow going since all of the stitching is in basketweave. I'm using Impressions #1072 for the light gray background, the same white and navy Trio that forms the tweed in the coat, and Felicity's Garden "Granite" for the darker gray.

Those of you waiting anxiously for the tie will, unfortunately, have to wait a bit longer. I need to choose just the right shade of red for the sweater first, since his tie needs to be color-coordinated with the rest of his wardrobe. I will, however, try to stitch a little faster over the weekend!

Moving right along

2011-11-17T05:46:00.001-08:00

I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave in to the temptation of working on Oliver's sweater!

I first trimmed his coat at the pocket and buttonholes with Petite Very Velvet. Then it was time for his pin-striped trousers, worked in Vineyard Silk Classic "Pewter" in vertical rows of slanted gobelin stitch over two threads and alternating with single rows of tent stitch.

Next I stitched his shirt, using four strands of white DMC cotton floss in basketweave two threads wide. To keep the navy pin-stripes from overpowering the shirt, I plied down to two strands of DMC floss #823 to work the stem stitches.

The ribbing at the collar and hem of his sweater was worked in a Kalem stitch using Impressions #1072. I'll be using this thread to fill in the background of the sweater in basketweave before I start to add the colors in the fair isle pattern.

Slow going

2011-11-15T05:45:00.000-08:00

I've been dividing my time between two gentlemen lately: painting Nigel by day and stitching Oliver by night. Poor Oliver has definitely pulled the short straw, but I decided to show my progress on his coat so you wouldn't think I'd been slacking off!

The right side of the coat is finished, now that the white Trio has been added to the "Classic Navy" in the skip-tent stitch. You can see from the left side of the coat, where a little white has been stitched, how adding the white thread brightens the tweed immensely.

I think the coat will make a nice frame for the fair isle sweater, which is the focal point of this design. I'll try to be very good and get some more details done before starting in on the sweater. This afternoon is the monthly meeting of our local needlework group, so I'm hoping to get some serious stitching done!

A coat for Oliver

2011-11-13T06:11:00.000-08:00

I'm back in a paint-by-day, stitch-by-night mode these days, but preliminary work on Oliver has actually gone quite quickly.

For this canvas, I decided to change my usual order of stitching, working on Oliver's coat first. The Chesterfield coat has traditional velvet lapels, worked in Petite Very Velvet V642 in basketweave.

The body of the coat is being worked in a skip-tent stitch technique with Trio "Classic Navy" and "White." I've tent-stitched every other canvas thread using the navy, and filled in previously skipped threads with the white around the area of Oliver's pocket handkerchief.

So far, so good! I'll work a little more on the coat before moving on to the trousers.

Exploring another pattern

2011-11-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Another dapper gentleman has joined the Savile Row series--introducing Oliver!

Like his friend Nigel, of Argyle sweater fame, Oliver is a city gent who sports a sweater in a fair isle pattern. This design consists of bands of brightly colored alternating horizontal motifs, made popular in the 1930s and '40s by the Duke of Windsor. The eldest son of King George V of England, he was crowned King Edward VIII in 1936 but abdicated the throne a year later to marry the woman he loved.

The Duke of Windsor was THE arbiter of men's fashion during his lifetime: whenever he wore a new style at a public event, clothing manufacturers would scramble to bring the item to market. His appearance in a fair isle sweater single-handedly created a resurgence among the Scottish weavers who had created the pattern. The duke also popularized the color red, which previously had been frowned upon in men's clothing.

Do come back and check my progress in dressing Oliver for success!

Fashionably warm

2011-11-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

Liam, the country gentleman, is ready for a walk in the woods or a stroll to the stables!

When I finished stitching his tweed coat, I moved on to the trousers. For this area, I used a thread new to me: Annabelle's Playhouse, which is made of 100% worsted wool. It's manufactured by Rosebud's Studio, which also produces Felicity's Garden, but the two threads are as different as night and day.

Annabelle's Playhouse is a heavy thread--too thick for basketweave on 18 ct. canvas but fine for 13 ct. canvas. It will work, however, for decorative stitches on 18 ct. canvas, especially if you switch to a larger needle as I did. Worked in a slanted gobelin stitch over two threads, Annabelle's Playhouse provided a nice heathery effect for the trousers.

The pocket handkerchief was worked in tent-stitch stripes with DMC floss #991 and 434 to highlight the green and rust shades in Liam's scarf. I added fringe to the ends of the scarf with some looped turkey work using Sheep's Silk "Acorn Woods." With the addition of a button for his coat, Liam is good to go!

What an interesting study in textures this project was! I have one more gentleman in this series to develop before moving on to something completely different, so stay tuned.

Tailoring the coat: Part II

2011-11-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

With the lapels of Liam's coat finished, I continued work on the body of the coat using one strand of Felicity's Garden "Truffle" in a skip-tent stitch. I then went back to the stitches previously skipped and filled them in with FG "Snow"--the same thread I'd used for the sweater.

The right side of the coat is finished; the left side is a little shy of half-done. The combination of the two colors has produced a soft oatmeal tweed, just what I was hoping for!

With this much completed, I was able to go back to add trim using a medium brown Petite Very Velvet that picks up one of the brown shades in the scarf. The lapel was edged in tent stitch; the breast pocket and buttonhole were worked in a slanted gobelin stitch.

Still on my "to-do" list: finish the left side of the coat, stitch the pocket handkerchief and give Liam some trousers!

Tailoring the coat

2011-11-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

For Liam's coat, I wanted to get away from the "city" look, with lapels stitched in a solid velour thread to imitate velvet. The thread needed to be light in color to contrast with his scarf, but not so light that it looked boring. Rummaging through my stash, I couldn't find one thread that quite fit the bill, so I tried out combining threads on doodle canvas to achieve the look I was aiming for.

The resulting lapels, while appearing to be a solid color, are actually worked in two threads--Felicity's Garden "Truffle" and "Birdbath Gray." I began with "Truffle," working a skip-tent stitch over every other canvas thread--I've already worked some of the body of the coat this way. I then added the "Birdbath Gray" to the canvas threads I'd previously skipped in the lapels. I've just created the exact color I want without having to buy a new thread!

Heading back to the body of the coat, I'll continue with the skip-tent technique to create a more tweedy-looking fabric, this time using another thread entirely.

Bundling up

2011-11-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

I started work on the ribbing of the sweater but, as it happens to all of us from time to time, I got distracted! A new thread for Liam's scarf had arrived in the mail, "imported" from Thistle Needleworks in Connecticut as my own LNS doesn't carry it.

I saw this thread online at The Thread Gatherer's website, and for once my computer monitor didn't deceive me--it was just what I was looking for. It's Sheep's Silk "Acorn Woods," a 50/50 silk-wool blend, with a close succession of colors in the overdye that makes it ideal for small areas like Liam's scarf.

I worked the scarf in a diagonal oblong cross stitch with one strand--making two passes of the needle to form the cross actually doubles the thickness of the thread and makes for a weightier appearance. The canvas was turned 90 degrees to work the top drape of the scarf. I'm really pleased with my choice--I think it frames the sweater nicely!

Knit one, purl one

2011-10-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

Before I started charting the design for Liam's Aran sweater on graph paper, I dug out the sweater I knitted for DH--oh, about a million years ago!--for some inspiration. I was reminded that there's no set pattern for these sweaters--each is a little different in the combination of vertical panels that the knitter chooses.

I began with a center honeycomb pattern of oblong cross stitches using Felicity's Garden "Snow" and then filled in the background with tent stitches. On either side of the center panel I added a row of braided knitting to simulate cables. Through trial and error, I found that the braided knitting shows up better when flanked by a single row of tent stitches.

Next to the "cables" I added a column of Kalem stitches, followed by another row of braided knitting. Then it was back to the honeycomb pattern to finish the body of the sweater. I'll go back later and finish the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater with more Kalem stitches.

Was it difficult to stitch? No! All of the stitches used were quite simple to execute--the only tricky part was hitting on the right combination of stitches to achieve the desired effect. Did it take some time to stitch? Yes--but I think the effort was worth it!

A mystery project?

2011-10-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't a mystery project--it's the line drawing for the next dapper gentleman in the Savile Row series! I'm finding it quite fascinating to explore replicating various fabrics and patterns in needlepoint. This time I'll attempt an Aran pattern, more commonly known as an Irish fisherman knit sweater.

Meet Liam (Gaelic for William), whose wardrobe I'll be working on. I envision him as a country gentleman dressed for warmth as much as style: he sports a scarf as well as his highly patterned sweater. Because the sweater is cream-colored, I'm working it first, but not until I had done a lot of figuring on graph paper!

My choice of thread for the sweater is Felicity's Garden "Snow," a misnomer unless you think of the "white stuff" that fell a couple of days ago. It's a rather thin 50/50 silk-wool blend that should give enough definition to the stitches in the Aran pattern without competing in weight with the coat and scarf next to it. So far I've established the pattern for the center panel--a series of oblong cross stitches over two threads in a diamond-like trellis to mimic a honeycomb design.

I've a long way to go yet, so stay tuned!

A spook-tacular finish

2011-10-26T05:58:00.001-07:00

Stitching time for me has been limited lately, but I've finally finished the Seguin Island lighthouse!

Since my last post, I resumed work on the buildings adjacent to the tower, giving the small one a roof of DMC floss #355 in slanted gobelin stitches and adding bricks of Sheep's Silk "Lingonberry" in oblong cross stitches with the canvas turned 90 degrees. More slanted gobelin stitches in DMC #5 perle cotton #644 created the foundation, while DMC #5 perle cotton #414 in tent stitches formed the railing in front of the door.

The grass was worked with two strands of green Burmilana in a diagonal mosaic stitch. Rocks in the foreground were added in tent and satin stitches with DMC floss #645, 646 and 647. I stitched over those areas where tall grass had been painted on the canvas, adding this detail last in random long stitches with one strand of Sheep's Silk "Dark Moss."

Coincidence or Supernatural Intervention?
In 1985, the Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse and loaded a boat with furniture from the keeper's house for transport to the mainland. The night after this task was completed, the officer in charge was awakened by the sight of a man in oilskins standing by the officer's bed. "Don't take the furniture--please, leave my house alone!" was the apparition's clearly stated message. The following day, as the boat loaded with furniture was being lowered into the water, an accident occurred that sank the boat with all its cargo.

A sturdy tower

2011-10-22T06:21:00.001-07:00

Since my last post, I've finished needle-blending the sky behind the Seguin Island lighthouse.

I'd ended with four strands of DMC floss #3752, so I began adding DMC floss #3753 to the mix, adding one strand of the lighter color and subtracting one strand of the darker color in each section of basketweave worked. Since DMC floss #3753 is the lightest shade in this Wedgwood blue family, I then began adding white. By the time I reached the top of the canvas (remember I've turned the canvas upside-down), I was working with two strands of DMC floss #3753 and two strands of white floss.

On to the lighthouse, where there's a little artistic license in play. The top of the lighthouse is actually all black, but if I'd stitched the base of the lantern room in black, the gallery around it would have disappeared. So I first stitched the base with DMC floss #3799 in tent stitches, then worked the rest of the black areas with DMC #5 perle cotton #310 in tent stitches, with the dome itself worked in satin stitch. Now the base of the lantern room appears to be in shadow, and adds some depth to the top of the lighthouse as well.

The First Order Fresnel lens was worked in tent and Scotch stitch variation with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #221.

The Happy Ghost
Not all tales of supernatural activities at the Seguin Island lighthouse are sad or threatening! At some point in the lighthouse's history, a young girl died on the island and was buried close to the lighthouse grounds. Keepers' logs chronicle sightings of a young girl, laughing and waving to them, as she ran up and down the lighthouse stairs--yet no children were living on the island at the time.

Another foggy sky

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

First up in stitching the Seguin Island lighthouse canvas were the granite blocks of the tower. These were worked with white DMC #5 perle cotton, with a row of slanted gobelin stitches over two threads under the lantern room and a Scotch stitch variation three threads high and four threads wide for the blocks themselves.

Since Seguin Island is one of the foggiest spots in the world, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to needle-blend a foggy sky! I'm using a Wedgwood blue color family of DMC floss here, unlike the "true blues" I normally use for a sunny sky.

Turning my canvas upside-down, I began at the horizon with the water. This was worked with three strands of DMC floss #931 in a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch to give the subtle indication of movement in a very small area.

I then started needle-blending the sky with four strands of DMC floss #932, working basketweave over approximately seven canvas rows deep and staggering the bottom stitches to avoid creating a horizontal line. For my next threadful, I used three strands of DMC floss #932 and one strand of DMC floss #3752. I added one more strand of the lighter color and subtracted one strand of the darker color as I moved along, ending as you see it here with a full four strands of DMC floss #3752.

Now for the spooky story of the day!
In the late 1800s, a lighthouse keeper brought his bride to the island, where she became despondent because of the isolation. To cheer her up, he ordered a piano to be delivered to the keeper's house--no mean feat, since it had to be hauled a quarter mile up to the house over steep terrain. The bride required sheet music, but only one song had arrived with the piano. So she played that one song, over and over, much to the keeper's chagrin.

He ordered more sheet music, but when it arrived she ignored it in favor of the original song.
Finally driven into a mad rage, the keeper took an axe to the piano, his bride and himself. But to this day, it's said the faint tinkling of piano music can be heard across the waters surrounding the island.

Sailing into Halloween

2011-10-18T06:04:00.001-07:00

There are less than two weeks now until Halloween--what better time for another lighthouse design, especially if the lighthouse is haunted!

This is Seguin Island lighthouse, located north of Portland, Maine, at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Its name comes from seguin or "turtle," the word used by early Native Americans to describe the shape of the island. The first light station on the island was a wooden structure commissioned by George Washington in 1795. Taken out by a storm in 1820, it was replaced by a stone tower.

The third lighthouse, which is pictured here, was built in 1857 on the highest point of the island using granite blocks and stands 53-feet tall. It was fitted with a First Order Fresnel lens, the only one of its kind in Maine as well as the only one located north of Rhode Island. From its vantage point of 180 feet above sea level, the fixed white light of the lens can be seen from 18 miles away. At nine feet high, the lens was tall enough for a keeper to go completely inside it to light it.

The island has the distinction of being one of the foggiest places in the world. The Lighthouse Board installed a new steam-driven fog whistle in 1873 that sounds an eight-second blast every minute and is one of the most powerful fog signals available. In 1907 the location set a state record for fogginess--2,374 hours, representing approximately 31 percent of the year.

While still an active aid to navigation, the property was transferred by the Coast Guard in 1998 under the Maine Lights Program to the Friends of Seguin Island Lighthouse. Since that time, caretakers from this group live on the island every summer, restoring the keeper's house and other outbuildings.

With a lighthouse presence on the island for more than 200 years, it's not surprising that tales of strange sounds, ghostly apparitions and more-than-coincidental events have evolved. I'll be weaving in some stories of the supernatural as I stitch Seguin Island lighthouse as my next project!

Ready to hit the courts!

2011-10-15T05:31:00.001-07:00

I'll try very hard not to strain my arm patting myself on the back this morning, but I've actually reached all of my goals for the week--including finishing Reggie!

I completed the body of the coat in mosaic stitches with DMC #5 perle cotton #800 and ended with a hem of slanted gobelin stitches over three threads. With the navy perle cotton, I added pocket trim in slanted gobelin stitches over two threads.

The tennis racquet insignia was worked in tent stitches with DMC cotton floss #823. The final touch was to add tent stitches in Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #001 for the zipper.

I've got an idea for another dapper gentleman, which I'll let simmer on the back burner until I've had a chance to visit my LNS for some threads!

Starting in on the jacket

2011-10-11T05:54:00.001-07:00

The primary focus of this design is Reggie's tennis sweater, and I wanted the jacket to enhance rather than detract from it. So to make his "tennis whites" pop, I switched to different colors for the jacket.

I'm using DMC #5 perle cotton #800 (light blue) and #823 (navy) for the jacket. While the thread is 100% cotton, it has a sheen that mimics the look of a polyester windbreaker. For added textural interest, I worked the collar in a diagonal mosaic stitch, turning the canvas 90 degrees as necessary to maintain the proper orientation of the stitch.

For the body of the jacket, I decided on a mosaic stitch for more textural interest. The size of the stitch also made it easy to compensate around the tennis racquet insignia. The placket was worked in a slanted gobelin stitch over three threads.

It's a busy week here: I have some painting to finish as well as a column to wrap up for Needlepoint Now. But I hope to finish work on Reggie by the end of the week!

Thread snafu

2011-10-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

I suspected there was a problem with the white Trio I was using for the tennis sweater at the time the last photo was taken. Trio is a silk/wool blend, and at first I thought it was a trick of the light playing off the silk that made certain parts of the sweater look a different color. After all, the two partial and one unopened skein I was using were purchased at the same time, stored together, and all of the same dye lot.

So I forged ahead and finished the body of the sweater, and the discrepancy in color really jumped out at me. This photo, believe it or not, is the pick of the litter of many! But I wanted to show the full pattern, and I see other areas in the canvas which need subtle changes when I paint a master. So I'm sticking with the canvas as is for now--it won't be the first time I've stitched a model twice! I still think Trio is a fine thread--I've used it often in the past with no problems whatsoever. I'll just need to use a better light source in future and be more observant as I stitch merrily along.

I finished the hem of the sweater with stripes of red, white and navy vertical oblong cross stitches and Kalem stitch for the banding. I worked Reggie's shorts in alternating rows of vertical slanted gobelin and tent stitches using white DMC floss. I think I might have preferred DMC floss #3685, which has a slight yellow cast, but I didn't have any in my stash. I'd better purchase some for the second time around!

I then filled in the neckline with three plies of DMC floss #3733 in basketweave--I wanted Reggie to look like he had a tan! I'm not sure if it looks more like he has a sunburn, so will reconsider this area, too, when I stitch a second version.

Establishing a pattern

2011-10-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

One of my goals in stitching the Reggie canvas was to replicate the look of a traditional tennis sweater. I don't play tennis--in my first and only attempt at the game, I whacked the poor little ball clear out of the court as if it were a baseball. But I did own one of these sweaters, as they were quite popular way back when.

The pattern is basically a series of alternating cables and panels. Working with one strand of white Trio, I combined three stitches--Kalem, tent and braided knitting--to achieve this effect.

I tried using a Kalem stitch on the neckline, but soon found that Kalem stitched in a V just looked wrong. So I switched to vertical oblong cross stitches, adding Trio "Burgundy" and "Classic Navy" for the red and blue stripes. I'll add the bottom stripes and the rest of the hem when I've finished with all the white of the sweater.

Tennis, anyone?

2011-10-03T06:21:00.001-07:00

In case you couldn't tell, I've been having a lot of fun lately replicating fabrics and clothing patterns in needlepoint. So much fun, in fact, that I've come up with a new model in the "Savile Row" series. Here's Reggie, an aspirant to the Wimbledon tennis title!

The challenge here will be to stitch a traditional tennis sweater for Reggie that looks as realistic as possible. I'll also need to choose wisely in my stitch selection for his warm-up jacket.

You may not have a tennis player in your family, but you might possibly have another sweater canvas in your stash that needs some help to be ready in time for Christmas. The stitches I use for Reggie's sweater may provide some inspiration, so do stay tuned!

Stepping out in style

2011-10-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Nigel is fully clothed and accessorized!

When I finished work on his Argyle sweater, I stitched his trousers with Vineyard Silk Classic "Toasted Almond" and "Bark." To give the effect of pin-striped trousers, I worked rows of vertical slanted gobelin stitches over two threads, alternating them with a vertical row of tent stitches.

His tie and pocket handkerchief needed to be small in scale, so I decided on a simple stripe pattern that incorporates the colors in the rest of his wardrobe. To give these accessories some sheen to contrast with the fabrics adjacent to them, I used DMC Satin Floss S800 (light blue), S434 (copper) and S898 (dark brown) in diagonal tent stitches. I turned the canvas 90 degrees to stitch the knot, as the pattern here realistically goes in the opposite direction from the longer expanse of the tie.

I toyed with stitching the buttons for the jacket, but didn't like any of the samples I came up with. So off to the local fabric store I went, which luckily had just what I was looking for. I sewed them on with two plies of DMC floss. Nigel is now ready for a night on the town!

Warmer now!

2011-09-28T06:04:00.001-07:00

Nigel's tweed jacket is all finished! I was surprised to find I'd used very little thread for the skip-tent stitches in Felicity's Garden "Truffle" and "Fawn." A 40-yard skein seems to go a long way!

I still need to decide how to work the buttons: with real buttons sewn on, as I did for Neville, or to stitch them.

To reward myself, I resumed work on the sweater. All the "Sky Blue" diamonds have been stitched and I'm close to finishing the "Blueberry" diamonds, too.

So now the plan of attack is to finish the sweater and give poor Nigel some trousers!

Half a coat is better than none

2011-09-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

At least Nigel's left side is a lot warmer now!

I started work on the body of Nigel's tweed jacket, using two shades of Felicity's Garden--"Truffle" used in the sweater and "Fawn."

The tweed look is achieved with a skip-tent stitch, in which you work rows of tent stitches on every other canvas thread with one color, then come back and fill in the missed stitches with the other color. In the top left of the photo, I've begun stitching the "Truffle" in diagonal rows on the warp (vertical) threads of the canvas. The completed jacket on the right shows the weft (horizontal) canvas threads stitched with the "Fawn."

I then went back with the Petite Very Velvet used on the lapels to work the top of the pocket and button holes in slanted gobelin stitch. I'll continue work on the jacket in the evenings while I paint again by day!

Skipping around

2011-09-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

I started filling in the diamonds of the sweater, using Felicity's Garden "Sky Blue" and "Blueberry." Because Felicity's Garden is a heathery-looking thread, it gives the sweater the soft look of real Shetland wool. I added a few diagonal lines of the pattern using Felicity's Garden "Brown Raccoon."

I was making good progress on Nigel's Argyle sweater when it occurred to me that I had several other areas with a lot of brown in them yet to stitch. So, for now, I've left the sweater half-done and moved on!

Instead I worked on Nigel's jacket lapels, using Petite Very Velvet V648 in basketweave. So far, so good.

There's still a lot of jacket left to stitch, so I'll try to keep my needle away from the sweater and concentrate on getting at least half of the coat done!

Working from the neck down

2011-09-20T05:53:00.001-07:00

Work on the "Nigel" canvas began with his shirt, a tone-on-tone stripe pattern. Using three plies of DMC floss #827, I stitched rows of basketweave four threads wide alternating with a single row of stem stitch. The shadow was worked in tent stitch with DMC floss #813.

For Nigel's sweater, I used Felicity's Garden "Truffle," a light-weight silk/wool blend. The ribbing at the collar and hem were worked in Kalem stitch, while the rest of the tan background was stitched in basketweave.

With this much accomplished, I can now start filling in the blue diamonds of his Argyle sweater. At least Nigel is a little warmer now!

Neville's little brother

2011-09-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

Those of you who subscribe to Needlepoint Now magazine, and who have received your copy of the September/October 2011 issue, may have already met "Neville." He's the faceless but dapper model of my "Savile Row" design that I used to show how easy it can be to replicate fabrics and patterns in needlepoint.

Neville was so much fun to stitch, I decided to work up another design highlighting traditional menswear fashions.
Unlike Neville, however, who measured in at 11 inches square, his little brother--Nigel--is only five inches square and fits in the top of a Sudberry House "Betsy" box. I can't think of a more stylish way to organize all that loose pocket change spilling over the top of a man's dresser!

Nigel is a combination of a stitch-painted canvas and a line drawing: a lot of the pattern will be stitched into the open areas. I'm looking forward to stitching this project and hope you'll stop by to check on my progress!

Tucked away for safe-keeping

2011-09-14T05:48:00.001-07:00

With all the surrounding foliage in place, the Port Pontchartrain lighthouse is finished.

Since my last post, I worked on the wall behind the lighthouse using two shades of brown Burmilana. The top, bottom and vertical members were worked with two strands in a slanted gobelin stitch. To make the wall bricks less prominent than the bricks at the base of the lighthouse, I used only one strand of Burmilana in a diagonal oblong cross stitch with the canvas turned 90 degrees.

The grass was worked in a diagonal mosaic stitch with Sheep's Silk "Green Leaves Dark." The bushes to the left of the base were worked in Sheep's Silk "Dark Moss" in a diagonal vertical cashmere stitch.

For the tree on the right, I used Impressions #5060 in a diagonal oblong cross stitch with the canvas in an upright orientation. I wanted just a little dimension for the vines growing on either side of the tower. One strand and one wrap of Impressions "Moss" gave me just the tiny little French knots I was looking for.

I'm pleased with the way the various shades of green blend with the blue of the sky. It may be shaped like a dumbbell, but I think Port Pontchartrain is still an attractive lighthouse!

A little experimenting

2011-09-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

You've heard the expression, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? When it came to stitching the sky for the Port Pontchartrain lighthouse, I just couldn't leave well enough alone!

The photo I used to adapt the lighthouse to needlepoint showed a stunning sky--one I thought would be fun to try to duplicate. At the top was an intense blue, which highlighted the oxidized roof perfectly. The darker blue quickly transitioned to a medium blue, which stayed fairly constant in value until it lightened at the horizon.

I also wanted this lighthouse to really stand out against the sky, and had already helped it along by stitching it in DMC #5 perle cotton. To accentuate its profile even more, I decided to "ply down" the floss in the basketweave background from four plies to three.

So I started at the top of the canvas with DMC floss #3755, working my way down to half-way through the railing under the lantern room. Then I started adding in DMC floss #3325 in rows five threads deep. Most of the center section of sky was worked with two plies of DMC floss #3325 and one ply of DMC floss #3841. By the time I reached the horizon, I was using a full three plies of DMC floss #3841.

I found that three plies covered the painted canvas adequately--I'd duplicated the look of the photo pretty closely and the lighthouse definitely does "pop"!

Working on the tower

2011-09-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

With so much white in the tower of the Port Pontchartrain lighthouse, I began stitching it first before attacking the sky.

The brick tower is painted white, giving it more of a stucco appearance. So for the main part of the tower, I used a Nobuko stitch worked in DMC #5 perle cotton. The windows of the lantern room, gallery around it, and shading were stitched with DMC #5 perle cotton #415. The window is a cashmere stitch using DMC floss #413.

The brick base of the tower is not painted, so I used DMC #5 perle cotton #436 in an oblong cross stitch over two threads, turning my canvas 90 degrees. For the roof, I used a full six plies of DMC floss #927 in a satin stitch so its profile would match that of the areas done in perle cotton.

Next up: stitching the sky!

The oddest lighthouse yet

2011-09-07T03:57:00.001-07:00

Adapting lighthouses to needlepoint has been as much of a hobby as it has been a business for me in the last 15 years. With today's entry, I've reached my personal goal of developing a representative for each of the 31 states in the U.S. which have lighthouses. If there were a contest, Louisiana's representative, Port Pontchartrain, would easily win as the most oddly-shaped lighthouse I've ever adapted. But as I researched the lighthouses of this state, I was more impressed by the fact that this one was among a handful to survive Hurricane Katrina in 2005 than I was by its shape.

In the early 1800s, Alexander Milne, a young gardener at a Scottish castle, was ordered to cut his hair and don a powdered wig, the fashion of the day. Instead he emigrated to the U.S., settling in New Orleans where he became a successful businessman and land-owner. On one parcel of land along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain, he developed Milneburg, a resort town which became so popular in summer months that a railroad was built to connect it to the French Quarter.

The crude light built by the railroad as a navigational aid was replaced by an octagonal wooden tower in 1837. It, too, was abandoned when a replacement brick tower was completed in 1855. Reportedly this lighthouse was the only one on the Gulf Coast to retain its keeper during the Civil War.

It wasn't until 1880 that Port Pontchartrain lighthouse took on the dumbbell shape we see today. To accommodate a new lantern room, the top of the original tower was expanded with additional brickwork and its height raised by seven feet. When the Levee Board began reclaiming the lakefront in the early 1930s, much of Milneburg was destroyed. But the lighthouse was a survivor: it served as office space when the Pontchartrain Beach amusement park was developed in 1939.

Once considered the south's largest thrill park, its popularity was eclipsed by others and forced to close in 1984. It wasn't until 1991 that the land was acquired from the Levee District by the University of New Orleans as part of a Research and Technology park. Today the lighthouse, which was once located 2,100 feet offshore, now stands on dry ground.

It will be a bit of a challenge to stitch this lighthouse, making it look as attractive as I can while retaining the authenticity of its appearance, but I'll give it my best shot!

Another lighthouse finish

2011-09-04T06:20:00.001-07:00

With the few details at its base completed, Sand Island lighthouse is finished!

You may recall that for the little glimpses of water at the horizon, I used DMC floss #322 in a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch. For the water in the foreground, I switched to DMC floss #312--one shade darker--to give the canvas a little more depth. This area is worked in a diagonal cashmere stitch which gives the illusion of movement to the water.

The granite blocks which stabilize the eroding island were worked in a satin stitch using DMC floss #647 and 648. Lastly, I added the pilings with DMC #5 perle cotton #310 in tent stitches.

Wishing everyone a happy Labor Day weekend!

Building the tower

2011-09-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

Those of you who followed my stitching on the Baltimore row/alley house may be having a case of deja vue right now--don't those bricks in the Sand Island lighthouse tower look familiar?

I used the same thread and stitch for both projects: Sheep's Silk "Lingonberry" in an oblong cross stitch over two threads, with the canvas turned 90 degrees. The oblong cross stitch creates a higher profile than the normal brick stitch, making the tower stand out more from the basketweave background.

The lantern room was worked in DMC #5 perle cotton #310 in tent, satin and slanted gobelin stitches. The brown trim below the lantern room and at the bottom of the tower was tent stitched with DMC #5 perle cotton #801. I framed the windows with DMC #5 perle cotton #644, using the same thread in a slanted gobelin stitch for the base. The windows were filled in with DMC cotton floss #317.

I honestly don't know what the pole is that projects from the gallery below the lantern room--it was in every photo of the lighthouse that I worked from, so I decided to include it. This was stitched with two plies of DMC floss #310 over the previously worked background. I worked the water behind the lighthouse in a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch with DMC floss #322.

There's not a lot of stitching left on this piece, so I hope to finish up by the weekend!

A cloudless sky

2011-08-31T05:49:00.000-07:00

With such an expanse of sky behind the Sand Island lighthouse, how could I resist needle-blending?

This time I turned the canvas upside-down and began at the horizon with DMC floss #775 and #3841, two plies each. Stitching in basketweave six threads deep, I followed the following formula:

Row 2: DMC floss #755-one ply; DMC floss #3841-three plies
Row 3: DMC floss #3841-four plies
Row 4: DMC floss #3841-three plies; DMC floss #3325-one ply
Row 5: DMC floss #3841-two plies; DMC floss #3325-two plies
Row 6: DMC floss #3841-one ply; DMC floss #3325-three plies
Row 7: DMC floss #3325-four plies
Row 8: DMC floss #3325-three plies; DMC floss #3755-one ply
Row 9: DMC floss #3325-two plies; DMC floss #3755-two plies
Row 10: DMC floss #3325-one ply; DMC floss #3755- three plies

By this time, I'd reached just below the gallery of the lantern room, and finished off the rest of the sky with four plies of DMC floss #3755. Notice how the gradual darkening of the sky emphasizes the height of the lighthouse itself.

It should be a lot easier stitching the tower, since at least half of the sky was worked by the light of a window only, thanks to a power outage from Hurricane Irene!

A lighthouse on the proverbial postage stamp

2011-08-28T06:03:00.001-07:00

Many lighthouses in the U.S. have endured over time despite the ravages of man and nature. A good example is Sand Island lighthouse in Alabama, located approximately three miles offshore the main entrance to Mobile Bay. The first lighthouse to be constructed on this site in 1830 stood on property totaling more than 400 acres. Since then erosion has stripped away the land surrounding it to less than one acre.

The original lighthouse was replaced in 1837 and again in 1858, when Army engineer Danville Leadbetter supervised construction of a brick conical tower. Topping nearly 200 feet, this lighthouse was the tallest on the Gulf Coast at the time.

During the Civil War, Union soldiers commandeered the lighthouse, using it as a lookout to spy on the nearby Confederate Army. This action miffed a small band of Confederate soldiers, who in 1863 made good on the promise to blow up the lighthouse by igniting 70 pounds of gunpowder at its base. The leader of the group proudly reported its success to Danville Leadbetter, who had become a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army.

A temporary wooden tower was eventually replaced in 1873 by a brick tower 132 feet tall, built on 171 pilings and overlaid with 12 feet of cement. Attempts to stem further erosion began in 1889, when nearly 2,000 tons of granite were deposited at its base, with 6,500 tons more added 10 years later.

Several lighthouse keepers and keepers' dwellings were lost to swirling waters before the station was automated in 1921 and finally deactivated in 1932. Finally stabilized by the granite at its base, the lighthouse stood empty when its lens was removed in 1971. It wasn't until 2003, when ownership of the island and tower was transferred from the federal government to a group from neighboring Dauphin Island, that restoration of the lighthouse could begin and continue to this day.

Do come back to check my progress as I reconstruct the Sand Island lighthouse on canvas!

Stitch guide news

2011-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Readers of Needlepoint Now magazine may recognize this canvas: a ring-bearer pillow project which I completed in the July/August 2011 issue. I'm excited to report that a stitch guide is now available for the painted canvas, courtesy of designer/teacher Sue Dulle (www.sudukc.wordpress.com).

The nine-page guide with color photo includes diagrams of all the stitches used as well as a "road map" for their placement. Thanks, Sue, for the great job!

A tree grows in Baltimore

2011-08-23T05:45:00.001-07:00

The Baltimore row/alley house is finally finished!

I popped in the last window shade on the far right--three plies of DMC floss #543 in a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch, and was then ready to attack the tree.

To make nice fluffy French knots that would make the tree stand out from the building, I chose Silk & Ivory "Broccoli." I added a few tent stitches at the base of the tree using DMC floss and the tree was done.

And what do I work on for my next project? I'm leaning toward another lighthouse adaptation--what do you think?

Window dressing

2011-08-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

I've been ticking off all the little details on my "to-do" list for the Baltimore row/alley house, and I'm almost finished.

To recap, let's start with the lamp post. This was stitched with Kreinik #16 medium braid #005 and #5520. Why medium braid, when I generally use #12 tapestry braid? I find the finer weight in dark colors, particularly black, to be a little too thin in certain applications.

With all of the lighted areas of the windows completed with DMC floss #745 in a satin stitch, I started in on the window shades. I wanted to emphasize that each of the three sections on this block is an individual housing unit, so I treated the shades for each differently. On the left, I used two plies of DMC #842 floss in a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch. For the center unit, I worked alternating vertical rows of tent and stem stitch with three plies of DMC floss ecru, with a horizontal row of stem stitches at the bottom.

Two plies of brown Burmilana formed the doors, with the transoms worked in tent stitch and the doors in slanted gobelin stitch. For the tree trunk, I used three plies of another shade of brown Burmilana, again in slanted gobelin stitch, to be sure it would stand out sufficiently from the bricks behind it.

One more window shade, the leaves of the tree, and the tiny bit of ground at the base of the trunk remain to be stitched, and this project will be a wrap!

All bricked in!

2011-08-14T06:10:00.001-07:00

TA DA! I finished stitching all the bricks on the Baltimore row/alley house. I used up a goodly chunk of the second skein of Sheep's Silk "Lingonberry," but I didn't count the bricks as I went along. I'm a committed stitcher, but I'm not totally crazy!

I'm continuing past the base of the tree working the sidewalk in Nobuko stitch with DMC #5 perle cotton #644. And to reward myself, I began stitching the window sashes in shadow inside the previously-worked frames using DMC floss #415 in tent stitch.

While I'm itching to stitch the little lamp post, I need to decide first what thread I'm going to use. There are still a lot of little details to work out on this canvas, but at least I feel I've reached a major milestone!

Plodding along

2011-08-12T06:29:00.001-07:00

It's been hard to find time to stitch on the little Baltimore alley house lately. Sometimes I feel like one of those Chinese acrobats who used to keep seven plates spinning on top of bamboo poles. The second he had the seventh plate spinning, he'd have to go back and give the first plate another twirl!

So when I finished bricking in the center unit, it's not surprising I got a little carried away! I filled in two of the darkened basement windows with a satin stitch using DMC floss #414

I then moved on to the sidewalk under the partial unit on the right. This is being worked in a Nobuko stitch with DMC #5 perle cotton #644, a pretty good match for cement.

I haven't rummaged in my "foliage" bag yet--for some strange reason, I keep all the threads I use regularly for grass, bushes and trees in one plastic bag. I need to pick just the right shade of green for the leaves on the tree and make sure I have enough. If not, I'll need to run over to my LNS--I owe Barry a dozen Nutcracker Suite ornament canvases anyway!

Heading toward the basement

2011-08-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

I've added more "marble" to the row house in preparation for stitching more bricks!

After framing the two doorways with floss, I worked the trim under the windows with a slanted gobelin stitch over three threads. Two of the three basement windows have been framed, one stairway completed with more slanted gobelin stitches, and the other begun.

With that much completed, I couldn't resist filling in the basement bricks on either side of the far right stairs. I'm pleased with the shiny effect of the "marble" against the brick facade.

There's a lot more construction to do before I can begin the little details!

Row house progress

2011-08-07T06:19:00.001-07:00

DH informed me the other day that, technically speaking, this is an alley house, not a row house--alley houses having two floors whereas row houses have three. Just as well, I thought--one less floor of bricks to stitch!

I've made it all the way across the top of the second floor, framing in the windows with floss as another course of bricks gets closer. Outlining the windows and doors is a nice break from working all these oblong cross stitches! I've gone through an entire skein of Sheep's Silk "Lingonberry" at this point, but luckily have two more skeins waiting in the wings!

I have some canvas painting and another canvas to finish this week--it remains to be seen how much progress I make on little Bal'more!

Tweaking as I go along

2011-08-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

As DH was taking the photo of the Baltimore row house canvas that I showed in my last blog, he remarked casually, "You didn't add any dentil moulding to the top of the building." "You didn't have any in your drawing," I replied. "No," he said, "but I'll probably carve some when I build my version."

After deleting a few expletives, I counted the canvas threads between the capstones. Yes! I hadn't painted the dentils, but I sure as heck could stitch them! So the cast-iron trim at the top was worked in DMC #5 perle cotton white and #415 in a combination of tent, mosaic, and slanted gobelin stitches.

For the marble trim around the windows, I chose white DMC floss. I'd initially thought of blending in a ply or two of gray to simulate the look of veining, but some experimenting on doodle canvas only produced some dirty-looking marble.

Choosing a thread for the bricks was easy: my hands-down favorite for bricks is Sheep's Silk "Lingonberry," a silk/wool blend with a subtle overdye. The stitch I'm using is a diagonal vertical oblong cross with the canvas turned 90 degrees. The design shows one full and two partial housing units, but butting the bricks together on doodle canvas didn't provide a distinct line between these areas. So I added the line with a single row of tent stitches using DMC floss #919. Another instance in which it pays not to paint a master for a design until you've stitched a model!

For once, I let DH do all the research for this design, so I wasn't aware of the unique screens sported by these homes until Cyn Davis of Maryland left a link in her recent comment:

http://www.paintedscreens.org

It seems William Oktavec, a Czechoslovakian immigrant, began painting brightly colored designs and scenes on the window screens of row houses in Baltimore in 1913. Painted on the outside only, the screens allowed residents to look out but prohibited passers-by from looking inside unless there was a light source in the room. Check out this link to find out more about The Painted Screen Society of Baltimore!

Now to get back to brick-laying!

Just for fun

2011-08-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons DH and I have stuck together harmoniously for so long is that we have many interests in common, architecture being one of them. My interest in architecture is manifested in the "Doorways to the Past" series and my adaptations of lighthouses to needlepoint. DH is an avid model railroader, who has scratch-built virtually all of the buildings on his extensive HO scale layout. Even before we moved from Texas five years ago, he was designing on the computer his dream layout for the new house on the Cape.

He's recreating a section of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad extending from West Virginia to "The Big City" (aka Baltimore) circa 1950, when steam engines were being phased out for diesel locomotives. When he needs a particular style of building for which a kit is unavailable, he researches, designs and builds one--a case in point being the mill he created a few years ago that was featured in Model Railroader magazine. Just recently, he determined that the buildings he needed to transition from farmland to The Big City--Baltimore row houses--would have to be developed from square one. A photo of the cardboard mock-up he created is at top left. I decided to take advantage of all his research and the design he'd generated on the computer to create a needlepoint version, shown on the right.

Baltimore row houses were constructed in the mid 1800s to fill the need for low-cost working-class housing created by the Industrial Revolution. Their appearance was distinctive: cast-iron trim flanking the top, red brick construction, and window trim and front steps of marble. So proud of the ability to own their own homes were these workers that the sight of them scrubbing those marble steps to keep them gleaming was common.

A century later, many of these structures had fallen into disrepair and were demolished by fire or the wrecking ball. Before the recent economic downturn, however, some developers moved to restore the buildings to once again provide affordable inner-city housing. I'll be stitching this canvas as my next project, returning a small stretch of row houses to their once-pristine condition. And I see a lot of bricks in my future!

Farewell to Argentina

2011-07-30T06:18:00.001-07:00

Les Eclaireurs lighthouse is finished, just in time for Sally to pick her canvas up at her LNS and start in on her version!

I finished the bottom red stripe on the tower with the DMC #5 perle cotton #321 and added the door at bottom right with DMC #498 perle cotton in slanted vertical gobelin stitches. The base was formed with DMC #5 perle cotton #642 in slanted horizontal gobelin stitches.

To provide a hint of movement in a very small space, I worked the water with four plies of DMC floss #334 in a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch.

On to the base, where I stitched the grassy areas in Impressions #5011 in basketweave. The rocks were worked in a satin stitch with DMC floss #647. Last but not least, I worked the orange lichen in French knots with Silk & Ivory "Tangerine."

I think this may well be one of the prettiest lighthouses I've stitched so far: the snow-capped mountains certainly add to the scene and the combination of thread colors I've used are pleasing. I hope Sally enjoys stitching her souvenir of Ushuaia, Argentina, and I thank her for bringing this lighthouse to my attention!

Hitting the slopes

2011-07-28T06:11:00.001-07:00

When I finished the white bricks in the middle of the tower, I started in on the snow-capped mountain ranges. This section should appear to be in the far distance, so I stitched it in basketweave with DMC floss white and #318.

I needed different stitches for the upper and lower tree lines, one with a slightly higher profile than the other to add to the illusion of depth. For the upper tree line, I worked diagonal vertical oblong cross stitches using Impressions "Moss." The lower tree line was worked in a Nobuko stitch with Sheep's Silk "Dark Moss."

The rocks at the base of the tree line were added in a satin stitch with DMC floss #646.

I'm on the home stretch now, and hope to show a finished Les Eclaireurs lighthouse over the weekend!

Brick by brick

2011-07-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've finished needle-blending the sky behind the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse. I had begun adding DMC floss #3841 to my formula, combining it with DMC floss #3325. By the time I reached the bottom on the left side, I was using two plies of each shade.

Then I continued brick-laying for the tower using perle cotton. The higher profile of this thread is making the tower stand out nicely from the sky.

There's still a lot of scenery to be worked, so stay tuned!

Taking it from the top

2011-07-24T06:39:00.001-07:00

I just bet a lot of you are saying right now. "Yup, she's needle-blending again!" With such an expanse of sky behind Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, I really didn't want to miss the opportunity.

I certainly don't subscribe to the "my way or the highway" school of thought when it comes to stitching, and I've seen skies stitched any number of ways--some really good, some not so good. When the canvas area in a design permits it, I choose needle-blending for a number of reasons.

First, it's easy to do. Anyone who can basketweave can needle-blend: it's just a matter of combining different colors when you've stripped and re-assembled your plies of floss. It's also economical, since floss is one of the least expensive threads available.

Needle-blending, I think, produces a more realistic-looking sky--it stays in the background, where it belongs, while providing additional depth to the design. And it lets the main element of the design--in this case the lighthouse--take center stage.

I began stitching this design at the top of the canvas, using four plies of DMC floss #3755, and ending at the top of the gallery surrounding the lantern room. I then introduced DMC floss #3325, switching the combination of plies every six rows deep, using the following formula:

Row 2: DMC floss #3755- 3 plies; DMC floss #3325 - 1 ply
Row 3: DMC floss #3755 - 2 plies; DMC floss #3325 - 2 plies
Row 4: DMC floss #3755 - 1 ply; DMC floss #3325 - 3 plies
Row 5: DMC floss #3325 - four plies

It's been pretty hot and humid around here the last several days, and I began suffering from sticky fingers, so I switched over to work on the lighthouse. DMC #5 perle cotton #310 in tent and satin stitches formed the lantern room and gallery. The top of the tower was worked in slanted gobelin stitches with DMC #5 perle cotton #321.

I wanted the stitch for the rest of the tower to simulate the look of brick, so I used a cashmere variation two threads high and four threads wide. It doesn't matter that my bricks are an even number of threads wide when the design area is an uneven number, since the lighthouse itself is conical.

Next, I'll finish off needle-blending the sky and begin on the white areas.

A lighthouse for Sally

2011-07-22T06:13:00.001-07:00

I've been sharing vicariously in the vacations of fellow stitchers for more than 10 years now, beginning with a lady in Michigan who sent me her summer vacation photos of some wonderful lighthouses that she asked me to adapt to needlepoint. My most recent request came from Sally in Florida, who shared photos of a journey of a lifetime!

Last December, Sally traveled to Ushuaia, the capital city of Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina, to board the National Geographic "Explorer" for a 10-day cruise to Antarctica. It was in Ushuaia that she first saw penguins up-close-and-personal and snapped some wonderful photos of a very distinctive lighthouse. Would I adapt it to needlepoint, she asked. After some research, I agreed, and here it is!

Les Eclaireurs lighthouse sits on an islet off Ushuaia, with the Martial mountain range to the north and the Beagle Channel to the south. Its name, appropriately, translates from the French as "the enlighteners." But because Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, the people of Argentina refer to this structure as El Faro Del Fin Del Mundo, or The Lighthouse at the End of the World.

The conical brick tower, 33 feet high and 10 feet wide at the base, was first put into service in December, 1920. Its white flashing beacon is now automated, operated by remote control and powered by solar panels. The islet upon which it sits is uninhabited and the lighthouse itself is not open to the public. There are no windows in the structure, and its only access is by a single door to the right of the tower's base.

The orange splotches nestled among the rocks at its base are actually dried vegetation. Rising behind the lighthouse is the snow-capped mountain range, making this my second lighthouse with snow in its scene. So do come back and cool off as I stitch what probably is my most exotic lighthouse to date!

A garden in bloom

2011-07-20T06:08:00.001-07:00

Now that all the flowers have been added, this little Sailor's Valentine is finished!

I worked French knot flowers using four colors of Vineyard Silk Classic: Provence, Captain's Blue, Peppermint and Cherry Tree. I fell in love with these colors working on the ring-bearer pillow in the latest issue of Needlepoint Now, and wanted to incorporate them in another project.

My goal for this Sailor's Valentine was to make it look more feminine and romantic than the nautically-inspired ones I've done, and I think I've succeeded! Now I'm going to try to escape the oppressive heat and humidity by heading for my cool basement studio/office and working on another lighthouse design!

Almost, but not quite

2011-07-18T05:39:00.001-07:00

The embellishing process has begun on the little Sailor's Valentine!

I began by working pairs of tiny leaf stitches on each of the outside scallops, using Vineyard Silk Classic "Sage." Then in the corners where the scallops meet and a few places inside, I added Smyrna crosses with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #032 for a little bit of sparkle.

The shells I've chosen for this project don't have any natural holes with which to attach them. So once again, I've "netted" them with three criss-crossing passes using white DMC #5 perle cotton.

Every self-respecting nautical garden needs flowers, so I have a little work still to do before I'm finished with this project!

Getting to the good stuff

2011-07-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Both "beds" are made now on this little Sailor's Valentine!

For the inside section around the captain's house, I used DMC floss #225 in basketweave. You can see this area has a lower profile than the scalloped area worked in Petite Very Velvet. This contrast provides some dimension to the piece and makes the scallops look more like a frame.

I've worked French knots around the center scene with Vineyard Silk Classic "Sage" as the first step in planting my nautical garden!

Working from the outside in

2011-07-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

Following through on the theme of a nautical garden for this Sailor's Valentine, I chose a shell pink shade of Petite Very Velvet to work the outside of the octagon.

Original Sailor's Valentines created in the 1800s often used silk or velvet to line the octagonal boxes in which shells and seeds were placed. The Petite Very Velvet will provide a nice plush bed for further embellishment.

I'll fill in the blank area next before digging out my shells and planning their placement!

Setting the center scene

2011-07-12T05:53:00.001-07:00

Stitching the center scene of a Sailor's Valentine first helps to get me "in the mood," and this one is no exception. And some of the colors I've used here will give you a hint to the flowers that will grow in my nautical garden!

Since this section is only 25 threads wide, most of the stitching was done in basketweave, with a few exceptions. The roof and stoop were worked in slanted gobelin stitches and the bushes at either side of the door are French knots.

I'm almost done with my canvas painting, so I hope to be able to spend more time on this little design as the week progresses!

In the interim

2011-07-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of work has been going on in my little corner of the Cape this week. First, there's the painting: a lot of Nutcracker Suite ornaments have been dancing off the painting table, with lighthouses following in hot pursuit. Then there's the stitching: two projects for future issues of Needlepoint Now. And let's not forget the researching: I've identified five new lighthouses that I'll be adapting to needlepoint in the next couple of months.

I'm not much of a shopper, and even less so during summer months when throngs of people discover that what I call home is a beautiful place to visit! So the Brant Point Sailor's Valentine sits patiently in a corner of my studio, waiting for its starfish. In the meantime, however, I decided to go ahead with another idea I had, and for which I do have all the materials needed. Here's another Sailor's Valentine, a three-inch size, featuring a captain's house in its center scene.

Like my other Sailor's Valentines, this one, too, will feature some shells for surface embellishment. But these shells will be nestled among flowers, to create a garden with a nautical twist around the outside of the valentine. So do come back and watch my progress!

A Fourth finale--sort of

2011-07-04T06:23:00.001-07:00

I finished Eldred Rock lighthouse, or so I thought, until I took this photo and discovered two missed stitches! But with a houseful of guests and Fourth of July festivities to occupy me, I decided to run with the photo anyway and pop those two stitches in when the dust settles!

For the water behind the lighthouse, I needed a low-profile, horizontal stitch for an area only five threads wide. Fitting the bill was a horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch, for which I used three plies of DMC floss #3755.

The grass was worked with Wildflowers "Jade" in a diagonal mosaic stitch. I used two strands, cutting the lengths as they came off the skein, then reversing the direction of one so streaking of the variegated thread would be minimized.

The rocks had me stumped for a bit. I knew I wanted to use a diagonal vertical cashmere stitch, but the shade of Burmilana I'd planned on using was too brown and the gray Burmilana I had on hand was way too light. Scouring through my stash, I found an unopened skein of gray Medici which, had it been a human, would probably have been old enough to drive. The Medici was almost identical in weight to the Burmilana, so I combined one strand of each to produce just the color I was aiming for. French knots of Sheep's Silk "Camouflage" formed the vegetation growing in the rock crevices. It's the outcropping just right of center missing the two stitches!

I used the same horizontal interlocking gobelin stitch for the water at the base of the rocks, increasing to four plies of floss for a more solid look. Less than ten minutes of work, and this lighthouse will join its scores of buddies!

Happy Birthday, America!

Raising the roof

2011-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Moving on to the Eldred Rock lighthouse itself, I reached another "layer" in which to add to the depth of the canvas. Here I used DMC #5 perle cotton, a tad heavier in weight than the Impressions I used in the tree line, so the profile of the lighthouse would stand out from that area.

The black on the lantern room and the red roof were worked in a combination of tent and slanted gobelin stitches. The white areas were worked in basketweave. The beacon itself was stitched with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #221 in a vertical oblong cross stitch over two threads.

Next I'll be working on the far shore line, the water behind the lighthouse, and the grassy knoll upon which it sits. I'm not sure how much stitching I'll get done over the holiday weekend, but I'll give it my best shot!

Depth perception

2011-06-29T10:23:00.001-07:00

Despite its diminutive size--5 inches tall and 2-3/4 inches wide--the Eldred Rock lighthouse canvas poses a definite stitching challenge. There are six "layers" to this design, and the choice of threads and stitches for each is critical to establishing an illusion of depth.

I began first with the snow on the mountain ranges. When viewed from a considerable distance, snow doesn't "twinkle"--it appears as a flat white surface. So I stitched it, not with a metallic, but rather four plies of white DMC cotton floss in basketweave. I then filled in the upper and lower mountain ranges with four plies of DMC floss #334 and DMC floss #312, respectively.

On to the sky, which I wanted to look as though it disappeared behind the mountain ranges. After testing out my theory on doodle canvas, I stitched the sky in basketweave using two plies of DMC floss #3325. I wasn't aiming for "light coverage," which I personally think to be inappropriate for this type of design, but I wanted a less "beefy" look when contrasted with the density of thread in the snow caps of the mountain ranges. The two plies of floss covered the already-painted area nicely but provided a subtle transition from the sky to the mountain areas.

Moving down to the tree line, I wanted to gradually increase the profile of stitches compared to those of the mountain ranges. I chose one strand of Impressions #5061, a misty-looking blue/green color appropriate for trees still in the distance, in a diagonal vertical oblong cross stitch. I'll complete this area when I've stitched the white of the lantern room. Then it will be time to work on the lighthouse itself!

Heading Northwest

2011-06-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

While my Brant Point Sailor's Valentine continues to simmer on the back burner, I decided to move on to a different project: adapting another lighthouse to needlepoint. Several months ago, Jan Fitzpatrick (www.threadmeadley.wordpress.com) sent me some lighthouse links to investigate. We both agreed the red-roofed beauty shown here would be ideal to represent the State of Alaska!

Eldred Rock is the oldest original lighthouse building in Alaska and one of the most remote in North America. From 1867, when Alaska was purchased by the U.S. from Russia, to the late 1890s, there were no lighthouses in the area to provide navigational aid. Then in 1898, the steamship Clara Nevada went down close to the rock, with 75 lives and 850 pounds of gold lost, bringing the need for lighthouses to the attention of the U. S. government.

The beacon of this octagonal, wooden structure was first lit in 1906. The original third-order Fresnel lens is now housed in the Sheldon Museum & Cultural Center. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the U. S. Coast Guard in 1973 and has been operated remotely ever since. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. A committee organized by the Sheldon Museum continues to lobby for the restoration of the lighthouse .

I never thought I'd be painting a lighthouse canvas with snow-capped mountains in the distance, yet here it is! So do check back in to see my progress in stitching this Alaskan landmark!

Progress on another front

2011-06-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

What a crazy week! My Webmaster arrived on Sunday for a visit from Kansas, and we've spent all week updating my website. Scary--it hadn't been updated since January of 2010! And I'm equally awed by how prolific I've been since then!

So, if you have a minute, check out www.absdesignsonline.com, and see all the canvases I've been blogging about for the past 18 months! There are two new categories: Nutcracker Suite and Clocks. And I think we caught up on the Missions, Penguins, Christmas, Halloween, Nautical, and Lighthouses, too!

Onward and upward to new, exciting things to add!

Glitches

2011-06-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Mother always told me there would be days like this! I've been working on the Brant Point Sailor's Valentine diligently, finishing the segments with Petite Very Velvet that I'd waited about 10 days to arrive. It was time to starting adding the embellishments.

I sewed on some rope trim I'd found on my shopping excursion three weeks or so ago, and all went well until I needed to end it off. Can we say UNRAVEL, boys and girls? Can we use it in a sentence?

I thought I had a solution to that problem, so I rummaged through the shells I had purchased and started arranging them on the canvas. The four absolutely wonderful starfish I bought, which I had planned to showcase on the Nobuko segments, were too big. Back to square one.

A very wise woman once counseled me, when you run into a glitch in a design, put it away for a few days and wait for the "light bulb moment" when the logical solution dawns on you. Rush a design and it will be garbage. So I'm heeding this advice and putting this canvas on the back burner until I either (A) have a flash of inspiration or (B) go shopping again!

Slow but steady progress

2011-06-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Stitching basketweave isn't tedious--it's actually quite relaxing. But it's also time-consuming, as you can see from my progress photo for today.

I've been stitching exclusively on the Brant Point Sailor's Valentine since picking up the threads I needed at my LNS on Saturday. I've managed to finish two segments on the outside of the octagon and start the last one. I'm itching to finish with the Petite Very Velvet, as then I can start in on the fancy stuff!

But the more I work on this outside area, the better you can see the difference in textures between the PVV segments and those stitched in Nobuko with Vineyard Silk Classic. I'm liking the way this project looks so far, but I'm also anxious to move on to the next steps!

Back in the saddle

2011-06-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a happy dance here, because my order for Petite Very Velvet for my Brant Point Sailor's Valentine came in and I picked it up yesterday at my LNS. And I've been basketweaving myself into oblivion ever since!

No photos yet, but I promise to remain diligent and have something to show for myself soon. Just didn't want my faithful readers to think I'd fallen off the face of the earth!

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!"

2011-06-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

So where have I been and what have I been doing? Ensconced at the painting table in my office/studio, cranking out canvases!

First I Sugar-Plum-Fairied myself out painting Nutcracker ballet ornaments. Yesterday I moved on to characters from the Wizard of Oz, and what a trip down Memory Lane this is turning out to be!

I remember the evolution of these designs as clearly as if I'd done them last week, although it was actually 1998. My two sons enjoyed keeping me company through the first showing of the movie I'd rented, but I lost them for the second screening. I sat there with pencil and paper in hand, making notes and sketches for future reference. We lived in Connecticut then, but would soon make the move to Texas, and my personal life was in turmoil. These little people are definitely a bright spot from that chapter, and I'm enjoying getting reacquainted with them.

Dorothy--and Toto, too--will be headed to South Dakota when I've finished painting the series for someone who saw them in the recent issue of Needlepoint Now and wanted to give them a good home. And if this stitcher enjoys working these canvases as much as I did way back then, I'll be Over the Rainbow!

The waiting game

2011-05-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

When I finished stitching the four outside segments of the octagon on the Brant Point Sailor's Valentine, using Vineyard Silk Classic in a Nobuko stitch, I knew exactly what I needed for the remaining four segments. Time to hit my LNS!

But when I made the trip to Town-Ho on Saturday, it turned out Barry had only one card of Petite Very Velvet in the color I needed--V604, a light tan that I've used before. He promised to order more for me this morning, but it will take perhaps 10 days for it to arrive from California. Drat!

Why was I so adamant about using Petite Very Velvet? I wanted a different texture for these remaining areas, while staying as close as possible to the color in the original areas. I'll also be doing some top-stitching in these areas, and I've found the PVV provides a nice, smooth "bed" for this purpose.

So until my ship--er, shipment--comes in, I'll be playing a waiting game with this project. I've long since given up being a monogamous stitcher, so I'd better find something else to work on in the interim!

Two down, two to go

2011-05-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I was finally able to squeeze in my shopping expedition for Sailor's Valentine supplies! That night and last, I've been working on the octagonal frame around the center scene.

For four of the eight segments, I've chosen Vineyard Silk Classic "Beach" in a Nobuko stitch. These areas will be embellished mostly with shells, and I figured the "nooks and crannies" of the Nobuko stitch would work well when I get around to attaching the shells.

This shade of thread, when combined with this stitch, almost gives these areas a grass cloth look. Two more segments to go, then I get to attack the last four segments, with a different stitch and thread!

The center scene

2011-05-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

Progress: I've finished stitching the center scene of the Brant Point Sailor's Valentine!

For the lantern room and gallery of the lighthouse, I took a little artistic license. These areas are all black, but I wanted to accentuate the railings of the gallery. So I worked all the black areas you see here in DMC #5 perle cotton and filled in the base of the lantern room with DMC floss #3799 in mosaic stitch. The beacon, which has a flashing red light as its night identification, was worked in Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #003.

I didn't have the right shade of perle cotton for the little red roof, so instead used all six plies of DMC floss #3777 in rows of slanted gobelin stitch to make this area stand out from the tower itself. I used one of my favorite small water stitches--diagonal horizontal cashmere--with DMC floss #322 to give a hint of movement without overpowering the lighthouse itself.

I chose Felicity's Garden "Truffle" in a diagonal mosaic stitch for the sand. primarily because the silk/wool blend gives a softer look. The rocks at the base of the lighthouse were worked in satin stitch with DMC floss #646 and 647.

With the center scene completed, I can move on to the outside area, but I need to find some time for a shopping excursion first!

A tranquil sky

2011-05-17T05:54:00.001-07:00

I began work on the Brant Point Sailor's Valentine with the tower of the lighthouse itself. Since it has clapboard siding, I worked this area in slanted gobelin stitches over two threads with white DMC cotton floss.

The larger size of this Sailor's Valentine gave me an opportunity to needle-blend the sky. Turning my canvas upside-down, I began at the horizon with four plies of DMC floss #3841, stitching five rows deep in basketweave, and being careful to stagger the bottom stitches so I wouldn't create horizontal lines in the stitching. I then followed this recipe:

Row 2: DMC floss #3841 - three plies; DMC floss #3325 - one ply
Row 3: DMC floss #3841 - two plies; DMC floss #3325 - two plies
Row 4: DMC floss #3841 - one ply; DMC floss #3325 - three plies
Row 5: DMC floss #3325 - four plies
Row 6: DMC floss #3325 - three plies; DMC floss #3755 - one ply
Row 7: DMC floss #3325 - two plies; DMC floss #3755 - two plies
Row 8: DMC floss #3325 - one ply; DMC floss #3755 - three plies

I finished off the remainder of the sky area with four plies of DMC floss #3755. I'm quite happy with the way this looks--it reminds me a little of a watercolor painting. Now that the sky is finished, I can work on the lighthouse itself!

To the lighthouse

2011-05-15T05:56:00.001-07:00

Another Sailor's Valentine? You bet! And this one is at least two and a half times larger than the one I just completed!

I was commissioned to design a Sailor's Valentine eight inches in diameter on 18-count canvas. The larger size provided me the opportunity to incorporate one of my lighthouse designs in its entirety, as the central scene is four inches in diameter.

Once again I've chosen the island of Nantucket for my inspiration, focusing on the lighthouse at Brant Point. Commissioned in 1746, it's the second oldest lighthouse in the United States, after the one at Boston Harbor. At least eight structures have stood on or near this site, besieged by fire and ravaged by storms off the Atlantic Ocean, giving the structure we see here the dubious distinction of being the most moved or rebuilt lighthouse in the country.

I'll be stitching this model with the intention of having it framed, although it could be just as easily worked as a boxed pillow without a lot of surface embellishment on the outside of the octagon. I'll start with the center scene, and work my way out!

Shellin'

2011-05-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

The little "Nantucket" Sailor's Valentine is finished, but not without some thinking "outside the box"!

First, I finished the stitching part, adding Smyrna crosses of Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #100 and French knots with DMC floss #841 to the stylized starfish I'd already put in place with perle cotton. Now it was time for the shells!

Last year, when I was working on Sailor's Valentines with Judy Harper for her Possibilities column in Needlepoint Now, a very gracious lady in Florida sent me a treasure-trove of shells. Looking through them again for the "Nantucket" valentine, I realized that the ones I wanted to use on this piece didn't have holes with which to attach them.

DH offered to drill some holes for me, but I was afraid of breakage and I didn't have enough just this size to spare. Glue was also out of the question--I just don't like the idea of putting glue on a needlepoint piece. There had to be some way to "trap" these shells....wait a minute! Don't shells occasionally get caught in nets when fishermen are casting for a catch?

So I "snagged" my shells with "netting," making three passes with perle cotton for each shell to hold it in place. And I assure you, these little shells aren't going anywhere! I'm happy as a clam with the finished product, and hope you will be, too!

Surface embellishment

2011-05-10T05:16:00.001-07:00

I finished stitching the outside of the "Nantucket" octagon with Petite Very Velvet, and I like the look! This shade of tan reminds me of sand, and sets off the center scene well.

I then worked stem stitches around the scene and the outside of the ornament with ecru DMC #5 perle cotton, which has a bit of a "ropey" look because of the inherent twist in the thread. With the same perle cotton, I stitched some stylized starfish on top of the previously-worked background.

Next up: finishing the surface embellishments before I start adding some shells!

More progress on "Nantucket"

2011-05-08T06:29:00.001-07:00

Since my last post, I've finished the center scene on the Sailor's Valentine. I raided my stash of DMC cotton floss to construct the buildings along the wharf.

The two chimneys and three doors have a stitch in common: the spring stitch, essentially an upright oblong cross stitch that's then tied down with one or two horizontal stitches. All of the windows were worked in tent or mosaic stitches with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #9200. I could have used gray floss here, but decided the little glint of metallic made the buildings look more inviting.

For the wharf itself, I chose a brown Burmilana in a slanted gobelin stitch. I used three strands instead of the usual two because I wanted the wharf to project from the buildings and add to the depth of the scene. I've started to stitch the outside of the octagon in Petite Very Velvet in basketweave, in preparation for adding some embellishments.

Wishing all of you mothers out there a happy day! May you get lots of stitching done, as I plan to do!

Sky and water

2011-05-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

Since I'm in a paint-by-day, stitch-by-night mode, I haven't had much opportunity to work on little "Nantucket." But the center scene is starting to take shape!

The sky was stitched in basketweave using DMC cotton floss #3752--the area was way too small to make needle-blending effective. I then moved on to the white areas. The buildings were also worked in basketweave, while the sails of the schooner were worked in satin stitch. I then added most of the brown areas using more DMC floss, with either satin or slanted gobelin stitches.

For the water, I needed a small decorative stitch which would mimic moving water as well as bring this area forward for more depth. Here I used DMC floss #931 in a diagonal horizontal cashmere stitch. So far, so good! Now I need to finish up the buildings and the wharf itself, while contemplating how I'll work the outside of the octagon.

Sailor's Valentines revisited

2011-05-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

My blog vacation lasted longer than I'd originally anticipated--I literally hit a brick wall last weekend and got an Easter egg on the back of my head for my troubles! Enough lounging, however--time to get back to work!

My adaptations of Sailor's Valentines to needlepoint last year seem to have sparked some interest, so I decided to have a go at designing another one which I'm calling "Nantucket." This seemed like a fitting name, as the seamen who brought back the original Sailor's Valentines to loved ones after long voyages were primarily from Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The center scene, featuring a schooner sailing past a wharf, is two inches in diameter, while the octagon shape of the valentine itself measures three inches overall.

I'll be stitching this canvas as an ornament, and because of its diminutive size, the center scene will be pretty straightforward. But I hope to include some embellishing around the perimeter of the octagon, details of which I'm still working out, so stay tuned!

The Argyle finale

2011-04-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Contemplating the heel and toe for the argyle mini-sock, I decided I'd like a slightly different woven look--this one in three colors, rather than the two-toned version I worked on the previous country mini-sock.

I'd already stitched the tent stitches in white, skipping every other canvas thread, before I worked the darker threads around the heel and toe. Now to add the other two predominant colors--gray and red--to the mix! I alternated stitching the empty rows of threads, first working the gray and then the red.

With these areas done, I stitched the name in Kreinik #16 medium braid #001, beefing up the weight of thread from the #12 tapestry braid I normally use to give the letters a more raised appearance. I then moved to the toe, and after working only three stitches, realized the silver thread was definitely not going to work--it disappeared against the variegated background. So for the date, I switched to Kreinik #16 medium braid #005, which provides only a tiny bit of twinkle, but at least you can see it!

Going on a blog vacation now, so I can cook up a storm for my visiting family members this weekend, but I'll be back!

Almost there!

2011-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

All the diamonds have been stitched and the criss-crossed black lines added--I'm almost finished with the argyle mini-sock!

Before finishing off the diamonds, I worked the toe in skip-tent stitch with the white Trio. Now I can go back and fill in the skipped stitches, as well as add the name and date.

Time to haul out the turbo needles--I have tons of painting to do and company is coming for the weekend!

Criss-crossing

2011-04-18T06:05:00.001-07:00

I've been stitching diligently on the gray and red diamonds. All the white skip-tent stitches in the heel have been finished so I could continue working with the darker threads, moving toward the bottom of the mini-sock.

Time to add some criss-crossing black lines in the areas where the diamonds have been completed! This is the exciting part, where I actually get to see the full effect of the argyle pattern in the top left section of the sock. My canvas is upright as I stitch the lines from top right to lower left and turned 90 degrees for the lines from top left to lower right to eliminate the sawtooth effect of the tent stitches.

Several more diamonds need to be stitched before I can add more black, then it's on to the heel and toe!

Seeing red

2011-04-16T05:57:00.001-07:00

Before stitching any more gray diamonds with Felicity's Garden "Baby Squirrel," I decided to take a break from basketweave and do the ribbing on the mini-sock cuff. It's the same Kalem stitch that I used on the green/red/off-white mini-sock, but worked in the white Trio, you can actually see it without enlarging the photo. Isn't it funny how decorative stitches almost seem to disappear when worked in a darker color?

That much done, I added some skip-tent stitches to the heel in white, in preparation for stitching more gray diamonds. I'll go back to finish the heel later when the rest of the sock is finished.

Needing a break from the gray diamonds, I finally treated myself to some red--one ply of Trio "Really Red." While it's the same red used predominantly in the other mini-sock, you'll notice that it shows up as more of a "cherry" red when placed next to the gray areas. Interesting how the juxtaposition of colors can affect the way a color's value is perceived, isn't it?