Originally posted 2007-08-08 06:22:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
You know that sinking feeling, the intersection on the hand-painted canvas is more than one color. You don’t know how to decide what color to stitch.
I call deciding this making an “executive decision” in needlepoint. I thought about what the process was for deciding and came up with some guidelines. Although beginners struggle with this issue, it can come up in just about any canvas which is not completely stitch-painted.
If one color covers more of the intersection than the other, stitch it in that color.
If it’s pretty much half and half, then you could do either. To help you choose, you can see if any of these apply:
1. Is it colored in both foreground and background colors? Choose the foreground color.
2. Is it the only intersection which has that color (no intersections with that color around it)? Choose the isolated color because it’s supposed to be a dot of that color.
3. Is it colored a light color and a dark color? Darker colors recede, so picking the darker color will probably make the two areas look more balanced.
4. I one color part of a line? Follow the line on the canvas to see how it will look if this intersection is stitched in that color. I’ve had it happen sometimes when stitching the color of the line instead of the other color made the line look bad.
Sometimes you choose wrong, everyone does. If this happens, don’t be afraid to pull the stitch out and use the other color.
Related posts:
- Ideas for Color Experimentation
- Stitches, Thread Color and “Show Through”
- Two-color Stitch Diagrams Now Online
- Controlling the Overdyed Thread – Color Clouds
- Color, Threads, and Quilts – 2011 Club
Continue reading here:
What Color Should that Stitch Be?
I got a question recently about buying a magnifier. I can’t use these because they aggravate my vision problems, but if you are considering this, take some time before you go looking to do some research.
No I don’t mean poke around looking at sites for products, but think about how you will use them. Ask yourself some questions:
What I can tell you is that you should think about how and where you will be using it in order to narrow down the options.
Ask yourself questions such as this:
- Will I be using it at home only or when I travel to guild meetings and classes?
If you will be using it for classes, you’ll need one that’s portable.
- When I’m at home do I have a table nearby for holding the magnifier?
If not, I’ll need one that hangs on my neck, sits on your nose (glasses), or sits on the floor.
- Will I need light as well?
If so, look only at magnifiers with lights attached.
- How much magnification do I need?
Different lamps have different amounts, so some might be too weak or too strong.
- Do I need color matching?
Then I should consider true light bulbs/lamps only.
- Do I get migraines?
I know some people who have problems with some brands of light because the flickering causes migraines for them.
Whatever lamp you consider, try it out first to be sure it works for you. This is especially true for more expensive models. Some shops will let you try out the models there or borrow ones from your friends to try.
When you try them, do so under the conditions you normally stitch, in your regular chair. with your regular lighting, and with the mesh size you usually use. This is the best way to determine if a magnifier will work for you.
Once you have narrowed down your list, it’s time to do the fun thing — shop!
Related posts:
- Beam N Read LED Light – Product Review
- Needlepoint and Fatigue
- Stitches, Thread Color and “Show Through”
- Why are Hand-Painted Canvases So Expensive?
- Evertite Bars
See the original post:
How to Buy a Magnifier
How’s this for a great combination for a quick and fun needlepoint project? Combine a thread that can use two or more threads. Divide a square or rectangle into quadrants with bands of Diagonal Gobelin, and finish it up with a big bow using wired ribbon. What do you have? A charming ornament that looks like a present. Pick 13 or 14 mesh canvas for the most impact.
I did this one in Christmas colors, but you could make it in any colors you want (it could be a cool birthday present or wedding gift. I picked Jacquard (diagrammed below), stitched in Very Velvet and Shimmer Blend Ribbon Floss. The “ribbon” is white and stitched in Silk Lame. Just like a real package, the Diagonal Gobelin goes through in one direction, so it looks as if the ribbon overlaps.
To finish it, find a wired ribbon about the width of the Diagonal Gobelin. It can be the same or a different color. Thread your needle and, from front to back on one corner of the crossing, bring it into the canvas, leaving a long tail. Go to the opposite corner of the crossing and bring it out of the canvas. Unthread the needle, even up the ends and tie it in a big bow. Cut the ribbon ends so they are even and decorative.
Adjust the wire edges to make it big and pretty. This can also be done, using a curved needle once the ornament is finished.
This ornament works up fast and is a wonderful way to try out both threads and stitches.
Related posts:
- Free Project Alert! – ANG Stitch of the Month
- Stitches, Thread Color and “Show Through”
- Stitch your Stash around the World – Almost Done!
- Winter Stars – Part 3
- Eight-point Star – Project for Trying Threads & Colors
More here:
Try-a-Stitch Package – Free Project
black & white canvas in action
As I stitched this little quilt block on Zweigart’s black and white canvas one word kept coming to mind — hard.
This canvas is tweeded. One direction has black threads, the other white. While the individual threads are the same as mono canvas, the woven effect is not and therein lies the problem. As you an see from the picture the white threads are more prominent.
While that is not a bad thing for the finished effect it makes stitching and counting extremely difficult. I felt as if the holes in the canvas “melted” into the white threads. And, although I counted threads and the stitches are correct, much of the time I felt as if my stitches were not true.
Add to this the problem that you can’t put a dark cloth or a light cloth under it to see and you have a canvas not for the faint of heart.
Even so, the finished effect is wonderful, so I would seek out painted canvases thaat use it as the background.
Social Bookmarking
Related posts:
- Black Metallic Canvas – Product Review
- Bizzi Creations Box – Product Review
- Tapis-tree Bags – Product review
- Patches’n Planks – Product Review
- Stitches, Thread Color and “Show Through”
See original here:
Black and White Canvas – Product Review
