background

Originally posted 2006-05-08 14:50:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Although I didn’t add to my blog for the last several days, I have been stitching up a storm.

I finished the Leaf Mask on Saturday.

I worked on a cool quilt pillow from Susan Roberts on Sunday.
On Friday I bought the thread for the background. I decided with lots of background, I’d try a knitting yarn. I bought Cotton Classic from Tahki/Stacy Charles. It’s a mercerized cotton, less shiny than pearl cotton, in a five-ply strand. I cut the skein once at the knot to have great stitching lengths. I’m using three-ply for basketweave on 14 mesh. The thread is great, MUCH cheaper than any alternative and looks perfect, an inky black which really sets of the bright colors of the star pattern.
It’s big, on 14 mesh and I only work on it on Sundays. It will probably take me all year to do. Adding in the background color added so much to the design it was hard to put it away Sunday night.

Original post:
Update for May 8

Picking a Perfect Background

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

OK, I admit it, I’m frustrated. YOu know that little vintage Petei design I’m making for a Christmas present? The one where I changed the colors.

I am having a devil of a time with backgrounds. I’m no on my fourth and, I hope, final choice. I have cut out tons of stitching, but it’s instructive, so I thought today I would go through what I tried, why it didn’t work, and what I learned.

Vertical Triple Parisian – I saw this in the current Needlepoint Now and since Triple Parisian is one of my favorites, I thought turning it to vertical would look good here.

Wrong!

With the lettering the scale of this stitch was just too big, even though it is a pretty small stitch. There isn’t enough uncluttered background here to get three repeats anywhere.

The solution was to go with a smaller, more horizontal stitch, where I could get three repeats. So I went with:

Giant Horizontal Cashmere – Plenty of repeats, so the scale was fine. But when I go to stitching around the lettering, no matter what I tried, the letters got so obscured that they couldn’t be read.

The solution is to treat the lettering like a sign and not bring the background into it. So I went with:

Woven Plait – I was getting closer but the combination of the small, highly textured stitch with the overdyed silk I’m using just didn’t look good. It didn’t even last a row.

Pattern Darning – Simple overall running stitch pattern still using the sign idea will showcase this lovely thread and let the lettering shine. It will also go fast so I’ll get it done in time.

Usually I’m better than this with backgrounds. A good background should:

not overwhelm or obscure the focal point
be in scale with the piece
be in a thread/stitch combination that highlights the focal point
be suitable for the deadlines you have

But painful as it is to rip out, taking time to find the perfect background is always worth it.

Originally posted here:
Picking a Perfect Background

Backgrounds: The Finishing Touch – book review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2003-09-19 06:38:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

BACKGROUNDS: THE FINISHING TOUCH by Ann Strite-Kurz

The choice of a background which is both appropriate for the design and beautiful is a decision which often perplexes stitchers. But all stitchers agree that the right choice can really make the design.

Ann Strite-Kurz’s teaching projects project packs and stitching are well known for their wonderful open backgrounds. No matter what the design, you will find innovative open backgrounds enhancing her work.

In this book Ann has taken canvases (of her own and by many others) and used them as the basis for a book about open background techniques. It is comprehensive and dense with information.

The first chapter opens with a short history of needlepoint and then has what I think of as the heart of the book. Well over 100 canvases are pictured and the backgrounds are analyzed. Each design is pictured in black and white in the book and then in color on the accompanying CD. A second picture of a detail section of the background is also on the CD. Each canvas is analyzed and information is given about how the background was developed or why it is an appropriate choice. In the section Ann classifies the different types of backgrounds into classes such as mat backgrounds, painted backgrounds or partial backgrounds.

Following this chapter are six chapters of techniques which show you how to do many of the techniques seen in the pictured canvases. The second chapter covers planning and execution of open backgrounds including detailed suggestions for starting and stopping threads so they won’t show and how to plan a background to work with the design.

The remaining chapters are all devoted to specific techniques. In each chapter there is an explanation on how to work the technique (if needed) and then the patterns are discussed. Anyone who has read Ann’s previous books knows how thorough her diagrams and explanations are, and this book is no exception. For example, Pattern 11, Diamond Outlines in Tied Oblong Crosses has a large diagram of the over all pattern, a detailed explanation of the pattern and when to use it (it is a large scale pattern with oblique stitches, so it needs to be planned carefully). then there is another explanation with diagrams of how to stitch the pattern. The section ends with some suggestions (accompanied by diagrams) on how to make the pattern more dense.

Because the book is packed densely with information it is a book to be savored and read over and over again. Pick a canvas, page through the CD to find ideas, then through the book to find a background you like, everything you need to know to make these open patterns an asset to your canvas is there.

We are so lucky to have Ann and her wonderful way of analyzing patterns available to us.

Read this article:
Backgrounds: The Finishing Touch – book review

Adapt this Button Sheep to Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

When I saw this sheep in Craft Gossip (waving to Denise) I thought it was just too cute. I have a button jar that glares at me from a shelf above my desk, saying “Use me! Use me!”

So maybe this sheep is just the thing, the tutorial comes from the blog Lines across my Face and is here. But how do you adapt a piece like this to needlepoint? Here’s how:

Begin by assembling your materials: canvas, permanent pen, acrylic paint, buttons, black thread, assorted colors of thread, white thread, 4″ embroidery hoop.
If you don’t like the color of your canvas, change it using thinned down acrylic paints. Let dry. You can modify it some more by stitching T Stitch with a thin thread after the sheep is made.
Place the buttons in the center of the canvas to test their fit.
Sew on the buttons using different colors of embroidery floss or perle cotton. Pick bright colors.
Using your permanent marker draw the sheep’s face and legs. Let dry overnight.
Stitch the face and legs using your black thread. Add an eye and outline to the face using white thread. Stitch a nice thick outline using black thread around the buttons to define the sheep’s body.
Add the stitching to the background if needed. This should be a 4″ circle.
Center the hoop’s bottom on the needlepoint. Place the top hoop on and tighten. Trim the excess canvas from the back. Add a ribbon loop and hang.

One final note: If you wanted a picture instead of an ornaments, use a 4�6 frame and outline the rectangle with your permanent marker before coloring the background. When done, cut the canvas one thread beyond the outline, put into the frame and go. Remember to remove the glass because the buttons stick out from the canvas.

More:
Adapt this Button Sheep to Needlepoint

Come Stitch with Me – Winter Stars Part 1

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-01-20 06:07:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Winter Stars Needlepoint Pattern Free for stash needlepoint

A sparkly sky in icy blues. white, and pale grays is the inspiration for this Scrap Bag Needlepoint piece based on a quilt design.

You can make the quilt in any monochromatic color you like. To do so, first pick out your background color. In my case this was white, pale gray, and pale blue. Pull out all your threads in this color. Then pull out all your threads in the main color of the quilt. In my case this was blue to blue-violet. There will be a few blue-green patches, but not many.

For each block of the quilt you will use two shades of blue and one accent color. As you can see by the sample, you can have the darker shade either as the center or as the points. The only trick is to keep the look varied by not having the same thread in two blocks next to each other.

I try to keep the same thread from appearing in the same row, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, but then I have lots of thread for these.

The layout will have 5 rows of five blocks. It is stitched on a 14″ square piece of 18 mesh mono canvas. I chose a dark blue for the canvas, as I wanted to have an underlying blue theme. You can pick any color.

The block is made up of a Scotch variation called Islay. Some are a single color, while some are split between two colors.

Scotch Stitches over more than five threads have a tendency to catch and snag. One way to fix this is to split up the stitches. You lose the smooth box look, but for something which is based on a quilt, you get little divisions, which look like the ties in an old-fashioned quilt.

As the design builds, this creates a nice rhythm.

The block has nine Islay and Reverse Islay Stitches in it. The corner blocks can be either of the two stitches. The diagram shows one possibility, the picture at the top of the post shows another.

Begin by finding the center of the canvas. This should be the center of one block.

Always complete a block before moving onto the next block.

As I add blocks I find them easiest to stitch by making a corner block which is next to an already stitched block. Then I stitch the triangle points, then the center blocks, then I finish up the background.

When you are fitting in triangles or making the second triangle on a side, begin with the outside stitches and work towards the corner, this makes the triangles easier to stitch.

Come back next month for the first borders and to see the center section completed.

Follow this link:
Come Stitch with Me – Winter Stars Part 1

Crosspoint – A Different Kind of Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Crosspoint is needlepoint but needlepoint with a difference. It’s a great break for people who like charted designs and it’s a wonderful transition for Cross Stitchers who want to try something more like traditional needlepoint.

It’s charted so the design is not printed on the ground.

But the big differences are in the ground and the stitch. Crosspoint is not stitched on needlepoint canvas but on natural jute fabric. This fabric is worked in hand, not on stretcher bars. Like traditional needlepoint and unlike Cross Stitch, the background is completely covered.

The stitches are complete Cross Stitches, not the Tent Stitch of needlepoint. If you have ever stitched an Elizabeth Bradley kit, you will have done this.

If you are looking for a needlepoint change, try Crosspoint.

Blackwork as Backgrounds

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

shading and blackwork background in Tink Boord-Dill canvas, stitch guide by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

Canvas by Tink Boord-Dill

Blackwork is an wonderfully effective technique to use as a background for needlepoint.

By its nature Blackwork has several characteristics that make it great for backgrounds. First, it’s open, so it will almost always look lighter than the focal point, even if the focal point is stitched in Tent Stitch, as is the case with the peach’s background.

rooster needlepoint with blackwork and silk ribbon, designed by Kelly Clark, stitch guide by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

Canvas by Kelly Clark

Second, because the stitches are usually done in thinner threads, it is lower and looks more distant than the focal point. You can see this in the chicken wire background for the rooster.

Canvas by Juell

Third, if you do the Blackwork in a color similar to the background color, you can use busy patterns that may not work if done in other colors. The pattern behind the cats is elaborate and large. If it had been done in textured stitches, it would overwhelm the cats.

Here are some wonderful Blackwork patterns (called fills) that make great needlepoint backgrounds.

chinois blackwork, designed and charted by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

This pattern, Chinois, was designed by me based on a Chinese Lattice pattern. Although it is a dense pattern, it’s just fantastic as a background because of the repetition of the squares.

clamshell blackwork, designed and charted by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

Clamshell Blackwork, seen above, is a large open pattern. I recently used it for a sky, where the pattern reminds me of a mackerel sky.

lawn blackwork charted by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

Lawn is a small pattern that would be a wonderful background in a color to match the canvas color. You could also vary it by leaving out motifs, either randomly or in a specific pattern.

stark blackwork designed and charted by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

Stark is a large pattern that was designed by me inspired by an elaborate carpet.

floating diamond sashiko backwork, designed and charted by needlepoint expert Janet M. Perry

Based on a Japanese quilting pattern, Floating Diamond, is a wonderful motif pattern that could easily be made more dense if needed.

I hope you’ll try Blackwork for your needlepoint backgrounds soon.

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Blackwork as Backgrounds

Needlepoint Damask – a Great Background Technique

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-01-22 10:16:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

needlepoint damask on whimsy & grace needlepoint purse

Needlepoint damask, a technique which uses Tent Stitch and contrasting textures of thread, is a marvelous way to make needlepoint backgrounds. You get a subtle pattern, but nothing which overwhelms.

The picture above is a damask pattern based on a Chinese lattice which I used on a lovely purse from Whimsy & grace.

Yesterday I added a page, with samples and patterns, about the technique to All about Needlepoint. But I can’t stop thinking about these delightful patterns. So I’ve come up with some others and I want to share them with you today.

This is another Chinese pattern, but one based on an overall design you will see in fabric and in paintings. I call it Chinese Key. Because it is a small overall pattern, it works particularly well on smaller pieces. I’ve used it as backgrounds for pincushions and boxtops.

Curvy Zig-zag, pictured above, is a stripe pattern, but one which has curves. It works well when you want a vertical background, but not one with a strong pattern. The smaller the contrast in textures between the two threads, the more subtle this pattern will be.

This check is about a simple as you can get. It’s just blocks of nine stitches in two different threads. But it’s very effective. Kelly Clark used it as a background on Mr. Snowman, shown in the bottom picture on this page.

Diamond and cross needlepoint stitch pattern

A more complex pattern, this damask will use three textures. Enhance the crosses in the center of half the diamonds by making them as tiny Cross Stitches in a thread like metallic. The result will be elegant

I’m going to challenge you to make your own needlepoint damask patterns. Email me with your chart as a JPG to napaneedlepoint @ gmail.com (remove the spaces please). with it as an attachment and I’ll do another post with your patterns.

The rest is here:
Needlepoint Damask – a Great Background Technique

Gingerbread in Needlepoint – Free Pattern

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

DMC recently published these four charming gingerbread ornaments to stitch. The charts represent the icing on these decorated “cookies,” you add the cookie by either your stitching or your ground.

If you don’t want to stitch the ground, think about using perforated paper in ecru, brown evenweave fabric, or ecru canvas. If you want to use canvas, but want it darker think about painting or coloring it.

If you want to stitch the background, look for cookie colors in floss, Mandarin Floss, or stranded silk. You’ll want something matte because cooked cookies aren’t shiny.

Then pick more shiny threads for the icing. The models from DMC (pictured here) are stitched just in white, but you could also use colors. Think about a thread with some glitz such as Neon Rays, Satin Floss, Silk Lame, or even some metallics.

If you stitch them on perforated paper you finish them by cutting them out. How’s that for quick and easy?

See more here:
Gingerbread in Needlepoint – Free Pattern

Say it with Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Sayings and needlepoint just seem to go together. From a canvas with a complete sayings to one word affirmations and needlepoint names, they remain popular items for hand painted canvas needlepoint.

But what if the thing you want isn’t available?

Then you need to look no further than the three delightful series of letters from Marie Barber at Colors of Praise.

Marie has come up with the best idea. She has three series of letters, the 100 and 200 series are upper case only and the 300 series has both upper and lower case, each with a different background. YOu can see them all on her letters page.

Each letter is different and bold enough to stand out from the colorful patterned backgrounds.

Now the fun begins. You can specify the word or phrase you want and even specify the backgrounds and even the colors. Marie says “[A] customer might like the “M” in the 300 series on a 200 background and that would be indicated
LE313b (letter) on LE213(background) or LE203(lets say they need a capital C) on LE338( wants this look). Size and mesh needs to be specified and if a letter needs to be a different color that also has to be indicated upon the order.”

Because each canvas is a custom order, it can take 1-3 weeks for your LNS to get the piece, more of it’s ordered at a trade show.

Marie goes on to say “There are so many options with these letters and how to arrange the words if that is what’s being used. The words can be in a linear row or stacked upon each other for example. If it is a word, I need to know the spacing in between each letter(I normally leave 1/4″). Same for Initials, the spacing needs to be indicated( I normally leave 1″).”

Sometimes shops call to talk through the plan with Marie, other times they just leave it up to her taste. Marie has a great idea for you to plan out your order: “print out the pages from my website and cut and paste, that would give them a better idea what it might look like if they are trying to create a word.”

The picture here, taken from Marie’s site is a great example of the possibilities. While many of the letters are from the 300 Series, others, the “L” for example, combine the letter from one series with the background pattern from another and put it in a different color scheme.

I love this great idea for making fun custom needlepoint without fuss.

See the article here:
Say it with Needlepoint

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