A cross-stitcher's foray into stumpwork
Chris K.
It's been a while since I've posted but I'm back. (I've been lurking
though.)
I followed the thread about Perfection in Embroidery with interest.
It took me years to try something other than CS on Aida. I finally
used evenweave/linen about 8 mos. ago. I love it. I also tried silk
and perle cotton for the first time last year.
Over the holidays, I started doing small projects in Hardanger and
look forward to doing more.
But the real reason for this post is to encourage anyone who's "on the
fence" about trying stumpwork. Go and try it! It's fun!
Mostly from the posts here and buying and reading Inspirations #37
(also from recommendations here) that I decided to try stumpwork. I
just loved the trinket boxes on the cover of Inspirations. So I went
and bought a kit (Introduction to Stumpwork from Nordic Needle).
Here's what I learned:
1. It's not easy but not horrendously difficult either.
2. I need to practice long and short stitch a lot. Before this I only
knew XS, Satin, backstitch.
3. Use cotton floss for your first attempt. (The kit had silks.)
4. It's fun. (O wait! I already said that :))
Now I am off to try to learn needlelace from Dianne's website. I
recently purchased Jane Nichol's first book on stumpwork and she has a
lot of needlelace in there.
So I'm going to buy some muslin to practice and keep trying. Let this
be encouragement to anyone who's been wanting to try this and has been
nervous. Don't be. Even if your first attempt is lousey (like mine
is so far) just shove it under the bed and start over. :)
This isn't to say I'm giving up XS. I still love it and will always
do it but it's been fun trying new techniques and I hope to continue.
Chris K.
Vital stats: Male, 30, single, live in US
Dianne Lewandowski
the old lady connotation) a neat post! :-)
"Inspirations" mag has those "just right" sized things to try. Part of
the problem, though, is that many of them require sewing. But if that
puts you off, sometimes you can adapt a design to something else, like a
pre-made towel. Or, you can simply frame it.
The Australians design differently, and it's a refreshing change of pace.
I'm so glad you are "enjoying", in spite of the hazards of "something
new". It's hard to get the tension *just right* in needlelace. I still
struggle when going from one size to another. Let's face it, I struggle
with "perfection" in this artform . . . period. But the fun part of
needlelace is, it's so easy to take it apart. Two seconds and you're
ready to go at it again. Other embroidery can take *forever* to rip
out. :-)
I loved your line about shoving it under the bed!!! :-) I've got a
drawer full of "nobody gets to see but me" embroideries.
Dianne
wild
I first started in on stumpwork about a year ago after I saw Jane“s
book. Had to buy it, had to try it. (unfortunately my complete failure
at needlelace is what has led to Dianne setting up this course).But the
good thing is that I can do the rest of the project and just leave those
&$§% petals till later - it even looks great without them (do the bee -
its sooo cute and furry!)
Have you sen her Dragonfly book? It is probably the most gorgeous book
on embroidery that I personally have seen (well at least the most
gorgeous one I OWN). I“ve been trying to work out what other insects I
can have a crack at. And she is wonderful at suggesting "just try this
and see how it looks" or "I used this bit of fabric I picked up 20 yo -
what do you have perhaps it“s better" kind of stuff, so I“m not afraid
to stick something different in there (we have no toothpicks left now
after I was practising making the tails).
You“re absolutely right - it is so much FUN! (and I“m getting all
excited about it again right now and want to go home to play!) Congrats
on doing it!
Jacinta
--
ŠĻ ą”± į
wild
> The Australians design differently, and it's a refreshing change of pace.
Hi Dianne,
I惴 interested in this comment so I was wondering if you could expand on
it. I惴 not sure I understand HOW Aussie愀 design differently - is it
subject, stitch type, something else? I know, for example, that I love
Jill Oxton愀 Cross stich and Beading mag, much more than any other cross
stitch mag I扉e found. I also know that I love the work done by Jane
Nicholas and the late Jean Fletcher, but am afraid that I惴 not familiar
with American or English stumpwork designers.
As an expert, what do you see differently that my inexperienced eyes missed?
Jacinta
Dianne Lewandowski
piano - and talking (I was teaching a MIDI seminar) and a guy in the
audience said it was great to talk to an "expert." NOPE! Know more
than the average bear, a LOT LESS than an expert. I'm well-rounded,
have lots of books in which to look up things - but also lots of books I
don't have. I can share what I know, I can *sometimes* make directions
easy to follow because I stumbled myself and know how to take things
apart. But I always don't forsee how others think, so mess up and miss
a point of view.
I don't want ANYONE thinking I'm some sort of guru. I do know some,
though <big grin>. How I wish I could stitch like they do.
I don't know how to explain why I think Australians are "different",
except partly it's the subject matter (flora & fauna), partly it's their
approach to things - their "out-of-the-box" thinking, wherein they'll
use a stitch in a way the "West" doesn't. Wool roses are a good
example. Or, how they use Casalguidi stitch (padding, vertical bars
then stem stitch)in a-typical ways. They're also not afraid to throw
something in a design that isn't normally done in that way. For
instance, one of their earlier mags had a pulled thread (drawn fabric)
diamond with a bullion bear (or was it a bullion ribbon?) embroidered on
top. We'd NEVER do that!
They are more brave, and it seems (I don't know for sure) their
countrymen are more open to new, fresh approaches - new things to try.
Not every design I've seen is of the highest quality, but a LOT of it
is. Some of it may be that they started out as artists (oils, water
color) and adapted their art. We do that, too, in the U.S. SharonG and
Lula Chang are two good examples. But I'm not THAT familiar with their
works, and they aren't in needlework magazines - at least not the common
ones.
Boy, ya got me on that question!
Dianne
wild
tiny pieces. I can´t wait to see a picture of yours finished!
The Australian Country Sampler is also fantastic. (30% off, no I can´t,
I MUSN´T). They definately do look different to other samplers I´ve seen!
Great work!
Jacinta (who, by the way, used to go through Sale when holidaying on the
Gippsland Lakes with her parents and has to say that she really likes
that neck o´the woods)
Linda wrote:
> Interesting thought! Being Australian, and more a Crazy Patchworker, I
> know we have a "different" style of Crazy Quilting, but that is
> because we influence each other.
>
> I have almost finished a stumpwork sampler from Jennifer Bee at Sale,
> near where I live. It is on my webpages at
>
> http://www.netspace.net.au/~kapana/cq/cq-Sampler.html
>
> You will find a link there to Jenny, if you wnat to have a look at her
> other work - and she has a 30% off sale until the end of June. NAYY.
>
> You will also see a link to a certain inactive Yahoo List i have - but
> that is where all my detailed photos are of the individual bits. So
> you can subscribe, surf the detailed photos and not get overcome with
> a lot of mail.
>
> But I really MUST get this sampler finished. I have learned to many
> techniques in the process - including a needle-lace pansy, which I
> must assemble. I have to admit until I looked atthe needlelace pages
> from Dianne, that i thought it was always done around wire for
> stumpwork!!!! Sully me!!!!
>
> Hugs
>
> Linda in Aussie Land
>
>
>>>The Australians design differently, and it's a refreshing change of pace.
>>
>>
>>Hi Dianne,
>>
>>I´m interested in this comment so I was wondering if you could expand on
>>it.
>
--
ÐÏ à¡± á
Lula
Australian designs are "different". I enjoyed reading your point of view
very much.......it makes a lot of sense.
I think Australian artists probably have a freer approach to their art
without the "rules and regulations" many artists in other countries
might labor under.
Australia is such a wide open land mass with a small population. Most of
the population lives along the seacoasts. Overall, it just seems to me,
artists living in a wide open wild land with much rural country, the
surrounding sea coasts, will see their art in literally, a different
light than artists living in crowded urban and surburban areas.
Think of Georgia O'Keefe who moved to New Mexico where the landscape and
light inspired her paintings to change dramatically.
It's a coincidence that I happened to discuss with Mr Wooly on this same
subject of Australian needlework designs looking different than similar
American designs.
To my eyes, another major difference is the use of color combinations.
American designs using are often use more "muted" color ranges compared
to the clearer, brighter colors seen in Australian design work.
Color use is strongly influenced by environmental factors such as
weather affecting atmospheric lighting conditions.
For example there is much written about the use of color by Renaissance
Venetian artists compared to the paintings done in the rest of Europe.
The Venetian painters used a more colorful and brilliant palette due to
the quality of light these artists painted under......the sea
surrounding Venice created a different atmospheric feeling and light
quality compared to land locked artists under different light
conditions.
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures
Tannia
I am in the midst of my first stumpwork project (a fuschia) at this moment -
I am with you - must practise long and short stitch ALOT!
Have done lots of hardanger, drawn thread etc, but really am enjoying the
stumpwork experience!
Good on you!
Blessings
Tannia
"Chris K." <mstitc...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6db09b5f.0306...@posting.google.com...
Dianne Lewandowski
you put that "color concept" into words for me. :-) It's what I had
noticed, too. Even their pastel works are "brighter". I never thought
about lighting affecting an artists work.
THANKS!
Dianne
Meredith
Meredith
Dianne Lewandowski wrote:
>
> That *is* a "sticky" stitch, isn't it?
> There are two approaches:
> 1. On the second row (pass), try only going into the first row's short
> stitches, then make the *third* row by going into the first row's long
> stitches. Continue in this manner.
>
> 2. On the second row (pass), go into both stitches as you work across.
>
> Another problem while learning: Learning how to make those small
> wedge-shaped stitches that help you go around a curve. Learning when to
> do that. You can help yourself by:
> After making a stitch and coming out for the next one, lay your thread
> down. Is it going in the right direction? If not, would making a tiny
> stitch (or two - one might be longer than the first) help you to keep
> the direction flowing?
>
> 3. Drawing lines on the motif so that you can keep checking yourself to
> make sure you're following the direction you need to be. I draw LOTS of
> lines. :-)
>
> 4. It's a common mistake thinking that everything is going to work out
> in nice, crisp rows. Nope. You will have to insert irregular straight
> stitches now and again to make things look right.
>
> 5. Having said all this, I still struggle with it. :-) My stuff is
> barely passable, but it will do until I get better. :-)
>
> Dianne
Dianne Lewandowski
Tiny stitches (wedges) where necessary to go around curves.
Row two: Whatever method you choose as stated below . . . the
needle/thread come out the amount of space needed from the first row,
and goes into (splits the thread) of the stitch in the first row. This
can be a tiny amount, or up a ways into the existing, laid thread.
"Non-purists": Overlap to squeeze in threads where necessary, between
stitches, so that the surface isn't smoothe but coverage is "full".
Also, the addition of "highlight" stitches over previously laid
stitches. "Purists" and those that really know how to do it by exacting
standards, know how to leave room for those threads. :-) Unless it's to
make veins, or something similar, where they actually WANT them on top
of the "painting".
I'm somewhere in between knowing how to leave spaces half the time and
squeezing in threads the other half. :-)
Here's a pic of my last attempt - last winter. I abandoned it. Not
liking how the shading is turning out on some petals, even though it is
almost an exact replica of my teapot. The transition between paint and
thread didn't work. :-)
http://www.heritageshoppe.com/heritage/temp/flower2.jpg
One of these days, I'll get it. :-) This is NOT well-done
needlepainting. In the first place, it's a single strand. Most
recommend 2 strands - and you split between the two.
Dianne
LdyTegan
I have yet to be successful locating this magazine here in my area. Is there a
website where I can subscribe, maybe?
Thanks,
Tegan
Who we are never changes. Who we think we are... does.
- Unknown
Elegant Embroidery
Cheers
Joanne
"LdyTegan" <ldyt...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030621230303...@mb-m12.aol.com...
Dianne Lewandowski
numbers scare you - there is a "not so small" difference in American and
Australian funds. :-)
http://www.countrybumpkins.com.au
In the States, you can get it drop shipped from:
http://www.woolythread.com
Jan-Marie also is now carrying the "authentic" kits
or here:
http://www.southern-heirlooms.com
I'd suggst strongly starting with Issue 37, even though No. 38 is out,
now. I haven't seen it, but know I was thrilled with 37 and it is
suitable for "first timers" to get their feet wet on many techniques.
Dianne
Lynne M.
>
> Here's a pic of my last attempt - last winter. I abandoned it. Not
> liking how the shading is turning out on some petals, even though it is
> almost an exact replica of my teapot. The transition between paint and
> thread didn't work. :-)
> http://www.heritageshoppe.com/heritage/temp/flower2.jpg
Dianne, you're insane. It's beautiful. No one will ever know
what you had in mind; they'll just enjoy it on its own because
it is a thing of beauty. Take that thing out of the drawer,
finish it, and display it!
Lynne
Elizabeth Fusina
> Yes . . . COLOR! It is *very* vibrant. So glad you responded, because
> you put that "color concept" into words for me. :-) It's what I had
> noticed, too. Even their pastel works are "brighter". I never thought
> about lighting affecting an artists work.
> THANKS!
And that explains why I love Australian artwork. I love color, the more
vivid the better. I like the "tropic" palette best, lots of different
supersaturated colors. So while I love Just Nan samplers, I invariably
rework the palette (she uses a lot of the grayed out pastels), to what a
friend of mine calls "Just this side of garish". For instance, I did her
True Friends sampler in 498 and 666 rich reds, 904 to 907 tropical
greens, and 995 screaming electric blue. And I think it was lovely, but
very different from her original palette.
Elizabeth
Chris K.
I haven't seen her dragonfly book yet. I figured I'd get through this
first one first. She has a third book too. I've made a little more
progess on my kit. I've attached a leave and bud. They're kind of
loose. I haven't mastered attaching yet. I have five petals to
practice on.
Chris K.
wild
If you go to Amazon and search for her name, you´ll find the dragonfy
book. It´s a specimen box and just looks fantastic. I buggerised around
a bit today and did a little one, but not with detached wings as I
wanted it done quickly. I doubt if mine looks anything like a real
species of dragonfly, but my other half recognised what it´s meant to be
so I s´pose that´s a start.
I have her a collection of fruits and flowers one. I was told the other
is a little more difficult, ie. the instructions for each piece a bit
harder to understand so I bought this one instead.
My detached bits still aren´t to stable, but I figure they´ll all
eventually be firmly mounted in some kind of display box which no-one´ll
be allowed to shake, so hopefully no-one´ll notice ;)
Jacinta
--
ÐÏ à¡± á
CowieLuv
Lynn, you're nuts to stuff this in a drawer! It's gorgeous!
cowie
Ellice
*snip*
> To my eyes, another major difference is the use of color combinations.
> American designs using are often use more "muted" color ranges compared
> to the clearer, brighter colors seen in Australian design work.
>
> Color use is strongly influenced by environmental factors such as
> weather affecting atmospheric lighting conditions.
>
> For example there is much written about the use of color by Renaissance
> Venetian artists compared to the paintings done in the rest of Europe.
> The Venetian painters used a more colorful and brilliant palette due to
> the quality of light these artists painted under......the sea
> surrounding Venice created a different atmospheric feeling and light
> quality compared to land locked artists under different light
> conditions.
I totally agree with this astute observation. The American way of looking at
color is somewhat different than that in so many other places - particularly
in Europe the French are much bolder in color combinations, and intensity -
as are the Italians. And, as you've noted - Australians are much freer and
bolder than Americans. African color cominations - while often "dark" due to
the history of natural dyes, are also so bold, and of course in the
Caribbean there's an overwhelming amount of bright color everywhere.
The difference in American vs French color sense came so apparent to me
after I'd been working in France for a year, and realized my clothes
combinations were startling to the American eye. Made it easy to be mistaken
for French when there, even with my American colleagues - and raised some
eyebrows when I came back to my DC office. That and the crayola red hair ;^)
Ellice
ozbroder
Aussie designer I've noticed how different the use of colour is
between our two countries. I think you're right in that the natural
light has alot to do with it. I recall being in Europe and missing the
brightness and clarity of colour in the atmosphere. The combination
of smog and angle of the sun made everything so 'dull'.
I was only just recently discussing the American use of colour with
someone. I'm working with some threads that a US manufacturer asked me
to design something with. This one colour range is just so pale and
insipid. Lovely muted tones, but they don't offer any focal point to
a design. After agonising for a week it's certainly offered me a
challenge. At this point its not going to be cross stitch, as I
decided to meet the challenge by using a different stitch to add depth
to the thread.
> Australia is such a wide open land mass with a small population. Most of
> the population lives along the seacoasts. Overall, it just seems to me,
> artists living in a wide open wild land with much rural country, the
> surrounding sea coasts, will see their art in literally, a different
> light than artists living in crowded urban and surburban areas.
I'm not sure I agree about what you wrote here. Yes, we have a huge
land mass, much of which is unoccupied because it's uninhabitable
desert! Because the population mainly lives along the coastline it is
rather densely populated so the majority of the population is not
living in the "wide open wild land". Also, I know of very few
designers who live in rural regions. Most of us are city dwellers.
We do have a much freer approach to our work too. Each stitch is used
as a tool to create a different texture. With such a multicultural
society we have accumulated a wealth of techniques and over time they
have been combined to achieve the desired 'look'. A little like
several dialects coming together to form a 'modern language'. Add to
this a myriad of different mediums (silk, wool, cotton, beads,
metallic threads, etc) and you get something even more unique and
exciting. Personally I don't feel that embroidery should be about
perfecting stitch technique (that comes with practice) but rather
about creating something you and/or others will enjoy. How boring
would modern art be if it just continued to be a replication of old
techniques and subjects? When you enjoy something the creativity will
flow, and you will find that you can embroider on anything without
boundaries. Of all the artists I appreciate the French
Impressionists, they took their knowledge and mediums and applied them
in different ways, experimenting and creating marvellous images which
we still enjoy today. I'm sure the old artists of the Rennaissance
would have laughed at their work.
Tricia
Adelaide, South Australia
Wombat Creek Designs
www.wombatcreekdesigns.com
Dianne Lewandowski
Impressionists stuff. Elizabethan art sets my heart a flutter, but
splahses of color with no recognizable shape leaves me cold.
That being said, I agree with the notion that Australian's seem to have
the ability to not worry about tradition and experiment to use stitches
and "findings" in new ways. And their notion of not fussing so much
about "perfection", agreeing that comes with time and in the "meantime",
just enjoy.
Many of us in the U.S. are really enjoying the fresh ideas and designs
that are coming from your country. But you'll have to forgive a few of
us if we ALSO like to remind people where some of these things came
from. Sometimes understanding the roots of things helps you to
appreciate the "present". :-)
Dianne
Lula
My point in saying about the open, rural areas was more about artists,
such as Georgia O'Keefe who changed her art style due to her move to New
Mexico and how Venetian artists painted with a more luminous color
palette affected by the sea around them.
I know much of the interior of Australia is desert and mostly
uninhabited but would say, environment, no matter whether rural or urban
will influence how artists or designers "see" and therefore what they
will design or illustrate.
Your comment on the the range of pale colors offered by an American
thread manufacturer doesn't surprise me. I like that you plan to take
the use of these colors as a challenge to create a new way to see and
use these colors by the use of stitches.
I've often noted how stitch formations change the look of colors in my
needlepoint and embroidery designs as I don't use a lot of
shading.......the way light bounces off the amount of exposed color
area......the flatter the stitch, the more color and effect I might
want.
Another factor is the type of material the thread is spun
from......matte or shiny such as in light absorbing wools or matte
cottons or smooth light reflecting silks and rayons and even mercerized
cottons with its shiny finish.
The use of these muted color palettes have been affected by tradition
and popular interior design. For quite a few years, the country look
with its grayed, browned, muted colors was a dominating look.
In needlework, the creation of samplers and other antique reproduction
needlework styles has been one of the most popular types of stitching
done.
For many, having antique reproduction stitched pieces was just the
perfect touch to go in homes based on historical and country styles.
In fact it was the idea of reproducing an antique needlework sampler
with it's faded, soft colors that got me into stitching despite my love
of using bright contrasting colors in my art and design work......I like
too many styles and colors to settle on any one look.
The irony is the color palettes that resulted from these old needlework
pieces were often based on what was seen on the front of the needlework
pieces rather than the unfaded backs hidden from light.
Most of us fell in love with the look of the faded colors we saw not
realizing how vivid the original colors of the yarn dyes that originated
from vegetable and earth-mineral bases.
In renovation of old houses from medieval times down, interior wall
colors have been discovered to be much brighter colors than originally
thought.
To generalise, every era and culture has its overall dominating popular
colors......I see Vermilion red, kingfisher blue being very Chinese
color combinations.
Many of us remember the 70's with its shades of oranges and greens.
I recall avocado green as one of the strongest colors from those years.
I was very much influenced by my Russian, Asian, Hispanic background
with it's brilliant color works and of course growing up in a melting
pot like NYC added that much more.
I've also thought of Australia being a "newer", more pioneering, and
even more multicultural society than we have in the US......much less
tradition bound......you explained this very well in your post.
According to the Color Forecasters, the people who forecast (years in
advance) color trends to major manufacturers, muted colors have been
giving way to clearer and brighter shades these past years.
There's no accident why certain colors become popular in time.
Much of these color changes will not be noted immediately but gradually
as new products are introduced which in turn will (continually)
influence future designs and artworks.
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures