Last weekend, I found a SharonG canvas that will go perfectly as an insert to a black purse to carry with one of my winter coats which has 2 snapdragon pins. But, Karen at Nimble Needle offered me a discount on a returned stitch guide/threads packet for that canvas (subject of another blog another time!). So, I had to find another canvas that didn’t have a stitch guide to take to the canvas enhancement class today! That wasn’t too hard with so many pretty canvases!
Today (actually took me longer to write this up & it is technically now Sunday), I worked on a green/gold Dragon Fly canvas by Kathyrn Molineux for a Sudberry House wooden tea-tray. The pictures are showing the canvas more blue – I wish I could adjust that aspect. It is a 5×7 design area on 18 count. But, I’ll need to expand past that for the 5&3/4 x 9&3/4 area of the tea-tray. SharonG recommended a bamboo border to fill in which I won’t get to until last. Also, she recommended a gold Mylar or Lurex underneath to be reflective which I’ve never heard of that before-sounds facinating.
I met a nice bunch of fellow stitchers from all over NJ, PA, & MD. We talked Seminar classes – everyone is excited! And, we had a lovely lunch at The Bistro which was a short walk on a beautiful day. Quite a pleasure to finally meet SharonG! Hopefully, I’ll get her class, Anatomy of a Stitch Guide, at Seminar.
When I got home & looked at SharonG’s book Needlepoint SENSE (Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations), I realized that the Alicia’s Lace that Sharon recommended for the gold wings on the Dragon Fly would let the gold of the canvas show more & allow the reflective layer to be effective. So, I ripped out the Alicia’s Lace Variation that I’d started on the wing because it covered too much canvas. I hadn’t done much & didn’t realize that they’d be so different. The hardest part about the Alicia’s Lace is starting and ending your thread so that it doesn’t cover the holes from the bottom. Here’s a picture but if you click on it you’ll see the white underneath the holes.
And, with the flash off, you can really see through the canvas. You can see where I am finishing off the threads on the left. I have to run a border thread around the wing & couch it anyway – so, it’ll be fine.
Back to front with flash for close-up. There is only one hole in upper left corner that is covered by a thread from the back in this picture.
The single gold rows are a Van Dyke stitch over 1 and 4 threads using Kreinik #4 braid 3228, a yellow gold with a hint of green. In between those rows are Alternating Mosaic using 2 strands of Gloriana #192, Peacock Blue (again that looks more green than here), a 12 strand hand-dyed silk. I was going to use Watercoulors or Waterlilies but Sharon likes open stitches to allow the painted canvas to show through. I never used Gloriana before-it’s nice.
I caught up to where I was at the end of class. You can sort of see the green along the bottom row in this picture.
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Melitastitches4fun's Blog 
Hi Melita, it was a pleasure to have you come to the class. I appreciate your attention to detail and taking it all in like a sponge. It reminds me that a challenge always lies ahead in needlework for those who crave it. Were you referring to the Kreinik hologram gold? or was it blending filament. The hologram line by Kreinik is something special. Folks stay posted with Melita on this gem of a piece and wait until you see the bamboo border. I love how Sharon lets the canvas breathe and shows us how to create a whole other layer of meaning to it.
Comment by Karen Milano March 18, 2012 @ 11:53 amHi Karen, I saw the hologram thread but went with Kreinik 045 to stay in the yellow green colors. And, I’ll outline with Gold Rush 14 & couch with Accentuate, a slight yellow gold filament thread.
Comment by melitastitches4fun March 18, 2012 @ 1:42 pmMelita, it was such a pleasure to finally meet you at the Nimble Needle Class. Your canvas will be very elegant. Just wait till you add those bamboo borders! Yes, it is a very simple canvas only in gold and the teal for the unadorned background. But, with the right threads and lacy stitches, it will be a show stopper.
Comment by SharonG March 18, 2012 @ 1:54 pmSharon, Thanks for your suggestions on how to stitch the canvas. I like how it is working up. Thanks for the Peacock Blue from your personal stash – it is perfect for this canvas!
Comment by melitastitches4fun March 18, 2012 @ 9:03 pm