The Wedding Sampler is Done

My daughter's wedding sampler is done!

 This is the 1Corinthians Wedding Sampler by Stoney Creek. As with most needlework, the photo can't capture what the piece actually looks like. For instance, both the doves and the bells look like they are the same white but they're not; the doves are the natural soft whites and grays you'd expect but the bells are stitched with a white metallic blending filament to look more like painted metal. The gold upper part of each bell is stitched with gold thread and iridescent pearl blending filament while the same gold thread is stitched with a gold blending filament to create the gold bands and clappers. Iridescent stitches are randomly placed in the greenery to look like dew drops. The two hearts on the top are stitched with the iridescent gold colors on the edges and then filled with gold metallic back stitched lines. The effect is a soft shimmer balanced with the matte of the roses and doves and is quite pleasing.

I recently went to see a Lichtenstein exhibit and realized how easily his work translated into photographs because it was, like the graphic art that inspired him, flat and uniformly finished. Really, when you've seen a good quality photo of his work you've pretty much seen the piece (though you should go to an exhibit if you can because his art really is fun). However, so many other artists make texture and finish so much a part of their work that even the best photo can't truly capture it. I remember the first time I saw Van Gogh's Starry Night. I'd seen that image all my life but the real piece was so alive in comparison. Needlework is like that too. While my piece is done in a uniform cross stitch, the gloss of the floss laid in uniformity contrasting with the gleam of the metallics against the matte of the fabric make a contrast that can't be well translated into a photograph.

Some of my past work

Yesterday I decided to take photos of some of the work I've done in the past. I've always known that photographing completed needlework is challenging, but wow, it's a pain! I had reflection problems, lighting issues, getting a good angle, and all done by a dufus who does not know how to use a camera on anything but the automatic setting. I did get some so here they are.

This piece was from a workshop I took from Marilyn Vredevelt at a CATS seminar in Riverside.  Marilyn called this center technique "lacis." Basically, you make the secure edge with a very tight cross stitch and back stitch, cut every other two threads, and weave the design like filet lace. There is more to it than that, of course, but that's the basic technique. I made a GLARING flaw in it that I didn't know how to fix, but I still learned a lot.

This is called "Heaven and Earth" by Pat Thode of Heartstrings. It was originally designed for DMC flower thread but by the time I found the chart and kitted it up DMC had stopped making flower thread. What I love about DMC is how the same color goes across so many lines so I just used regular floss. This sampler has quite a number of specialty stitches in it.

I liked making the willows with the long dripping leaves!

 The Happiest Celebration on Earth by Stoney Creek. Getting this kit was a challenge. Stoney Creek made up these kits for Disney's 50th Anniversary celebration that were sold only through The Art of Disney and I'm only 30 minutes drive from Disneyland, so I called the 1-800 number and arranged to pick it up. Then I found it it was only sold through the Orlando store! That would have been some drive. My son Tim was going through a roller coaster/amusement park phase and was  very happy I stitched this up.

 I Corinthians 13 Sampler by My Big Toe. This is stitched over 2 threads on 32 count fabric and still is 15" x 24" in design. It used only 2 threads, a blue overdye and a raspberry overdye from Weeks Dye Works. I love, love, love the frame that Bob from Needles & Niceties gave me. It looks like those rosewood frames from the 19th century.




Hopefully you can see this, it's a little washed out. Remember my photography issues? Its from the Abecedarian and has the words "With this work remember me when this mortal body doth decay and lie wormy in the clay to remain until the Lord doth bid me come." Macabre in the midst of a tame little sampler. The letters are all eyelets with a variety of other stitches beside cross stitch. This was actually my to-go piece, the keep-in-the-car-to-stitch-during-your-kid's-gymnastic-or-piano-lessons-or-sports-practice-or-when-they-just-won't-come-out-of-the-freakin-school-and-GET-IN-THE-STUPID-CAR-SO-WE-CAN-GO-HOME piece.

There are more pieces around and eventually I'll get a photo up of some of them. In the meantime I'm still working on that gift. Of course I also signed up for another SAL in addition to the Around the World in 80 Stitches so I'm crazy. But it's a good crazy.