Ready to stitch!

I've finished transferring the design elements to my 13-count canvas as a line drawing, and now I'm ready to stitch! The colors of Silk & Ivory I'll be using, besides the black for the background, are:

#29 - Guacamole (green)
#67 - Peanut Butter (golden brown)
#161 - Lida Rose (pink)
#110 - Blueberry (Wedgwood blue)
#15 - Honey (golden tan)
#68 - Cayenne (rust red)
#08 - Taupe (light tan)
#64 - Curry (gold)

These threads should provide a nice splash of color against the black background.

Measure once, count twice

The first step in adapting the Kyrgyz tush kyiz fragment to a needlepoint pillow was to measure the three major design elements: the central medallion, the smaller medallions in the four corners, and the "tulips" at the top, bottom and sides. My goal is to reproduce this design in the exact size as the original.

I raided my stash for suitable threads and found that Silk & Ivory was the only one having all the colors most closely matching the original textile. And since I'm going to stitch the pillow entirely in basketweave, 13-count canvas was called for. So I multiplied the dimensions of the three elements by 13 in preparation for working them on graph paper.

The central medallion and smaller medallions (bottom photos) were relatively easy to figure out, because each has center lines from which to plot the diagonal lines radiating out. Each square on the graph paper represents an intersection on the canvas. I counted and recounted to be sure each section of these elements was the mirror image of the one across from it.

The "tulip" motif wasn't that easy. I made a copy of the photo and traced the tulip design, then manipulated the size on the computer (top right). With the tulip now the exact size, I traced it onto graph paper, making sure my tracing lined up exactly with the lines on the graph paper. I then marked each square so one side would mirror the other and all stitches would fall on an intersection of the canvas, not in a gulley (top left). If you have determined that you're "on target" at this stage, stitching the canvas later will be a breeze!

The next step will be to transfer my graph paper charts as a line drawing to the canvas itself. I'm the type of stitcher who likes to see everything in front of me on the canvas before I pick up my needle!

Exploring a distant land

Thanks to a dear friend here on the Cape, I have a new project in which to immerse myself--once again adapting an original work of art to needlepoint. For this, a little background is definitely in order!

Kyrgystan is a country in central Asia. an entirely mountainous land slightly smaller than the state of South Dakota, with a population today of a little over 5 million people. But the first written record of the Kyrgyz tribe, nomads of central Siberia, appeared among the Chinese in 2000 BC. The tribe's history has been tumultuous, highlighted by a takeover by the Mongols--Genghis Khan's son--in the 13th century, and its annexation by the Russian Empire in 1876. It regained its independence from the USSR in 1991.

Its history is also rich in its textiles, cotton being one of its significant industries. Long known for its exquisite embroidery, the Kyrgyztani are moving away from the traditional, more personal family heirlooms--less favored by today's generation--while still maintaining a trade in felt rugs to the general public.

Luckily, there are some who cherish these traditions, including Canadians from British Columbia who are retrieving and preserving non-commercial textiles from this area. The piece I am working from is a tush kyiz, a large, elaborately embroidered wall hanging. Made by older women to commemorate the marriage of a son or daughter, the tush kyiz hung over the marriage bed as a symbol of tribal tradition. Now out of favor with the younger generation, it is no longer being made. But this fragment -- almost seven feet along-- has been preserved and mounted--gifted to my friend and on loan to me for further study.

I'm hoping to adapt this amazing work of art to needlepoint as a pillow. I've measured the motifs, compared colors with the threads in my stash, and now have a bit of calculating to do. The motif I'm planning to adapt is at the center of the complete picture and at the right in the smaller picture. Wish me luck!

A magic carpet ride

Today we're celebrating the third anniversary of the closing on our Cape house. The three-year history reminds me a little of the opening of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"--"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." House-hunting in January is never a walk in the park, but we found the pick of the litter, bid on it, and--here we are. It needed a lot of work, something we were used to after transforming more houses than I care to count. So the work began.

The one thing about remodeling a house: the sparkling new additions make the areas you haven't touched look even worse. So after we added a new garage and kitchen, the adjacent family room looked like Poor Pitiful Pearl (anyone remember that doll?). So we redid the family room! And after the metamorphosis, the butterfly needed a new pillow for one of the newly recovered sofas.

So here was my answer: "1,001 Nights." That's the name I decided to give the pillow, and in no way reflects the amount of time it took me to complete it! Based on several oriental rugs we had around the house, I arrived at a composite design and started stitching. The pillow is 12 inches by 16 inches and done in basketweave on 13 count canvas with Silk & Ivory. It provides a nice splash of color against the oatmeal fabric with which the sofa was covered. Its home is also on the sofa which "the girls," our two little dogs, are NOT allowed to sleep. I may be a dog freak, but I'm not totally crazy!

Both large and small

When I design, it's usually something on a much smaller scale than that of "Nellie's Imari," the gorgeous pillow canvas designed by Judy Harper. But I love Imari designs so much, I adapted two of the pieces in my porcelain collection to create this "Egg for All Seasons."

My "Imari" egg was stitched in basketweave using DMC floss, with the outer navy border done in Petite Very Velvet. It incorporates colors of which I'm very fond-- navy, peach and jade green--in a series of mirror-image motifs.

In my "spare time"

Have you ever wished that you could train your toes to be more useful? I wish this often, particularly during busy spells like this one, when I'm painting my little heart out for an upcoming trunk show (Peacock Alley Needlepoint in Ada, Michigan, on March 21). It's impossible to design, stitch and paint canvases simultaneously. So I generally paint by day and stitch at night.

And on the extremely few occasions that I stitch an OP (Other Person's) canvas, I'm very picky. Not only must the subject matter really grab me, but also it must be extremely well-painted--after all, I'm a stitch painter myself. I started painting and marketing my own designs in the mid 90s because I was frustrated by how few well-painted canvases were available and which suited my taste.

Then last year, I saw a canvas and fell in love: with Judy Harper's "Nellie's Imari" (right photo). I love Oriental art, have a small collection of antique Imari porcelains inherited from my mother, and the navy blue sofa in my living room was crying out for a new pillow. "Nellie's Imari" is an on-going work in progress: I began stitching on September 1 and pick it up when I have a minute, or when I'm feeling really wicked and want to play hooky.

The first photo is actually a scan of the work in progress, and a crooked scan at that! But I found it extremely difficult to fit 20-inch-square stretcher bars inside my scanner! Except for the Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002V, the piece is being worked in basketweave entirely in Vineyard Silk. This thread has a lovely hand to it and the sheen is wonderful. Unlike most of my models, which endure a lot of wear and tear as they traipse across the country for trunk shows, this pillow-in-the-making will be an heirloom passed down to future generations and thus worthy of the expense of this thread. Hopefully a future daughter-in-law (I should live so long!) will fall in love with the design, too, and claim it for her own.

Wishing Spring might come soon

I awoke to snow this morning. Flurries intermittently appeared during the afternoon. Now, at 8 p.m., it's started to snow again. Enough already--this winter stuff is getting old!

At least on the Cape, winter is still in full throttle. But I'm dreaming of days ahead, when my little crocuses start popping their heads through the still-soggy ground, hoping an itinerant chipmunk doesn't need a snack.

So, if you were wondering where I get the inspiration for some of my designs, now you know! This crocus was stitched in long stitches with DMC #5 perle cotton, with a background of DMC floss and Kreinik #12 tapestry braid.