Most of us can’t afford private therapy. So we all need a “thing” in our lives that makes a good substitute for it, otherwise we’d all be one step closer to totally losing our minds!
For me that’s cross-stitch. It’s been my “thing” since I was about 10 years old.
(yeah, I really am THAT COOL!)
I wanted to show you a project I completed last year.
I based this on a kit I bought at the "hobbiest of lobbies". The kit is “Iris Window” (AS-157) by Art Stitch. This one appealed to me because of the Art Nouveau style, and the “stained glass” effect it produced. Also, I had a technique I wanted to implement with it, for which this pattern was perfectly suited.
I made this on an ivory Aida 14ct, using the DMC colors listed in the instructions. However, I enhanced this project by using gold tulle. Let me show you how:
-First, I tacked the tulle smoothly to the aida cloth with a contrasting color. (this tacking will be removed later)
-Next, I began stitching, working center out, taking care to use the pattern as a “border” around the areas where I wanted to have the gold exposed.
-Once the tulle had been stitched around entirely, I carefully trimmed it back and completed the cross stitches, which sufficiently hid the edges of the tulle.
The end result is a cross stitch project with more color and depth than it would have had otherwise. Even if I cross stitched gold into the negative spaces, it wouldn’t have had the same shimmer and smoothness.
I wish I could take credit for this technique. But in fact, I first came across this in a project from Barbara Hammet’s book, Art Nouveau Cross Stitch, originally published in 1999, which contains some of the most exquisite patterns I have ever found. It’s such a wonderful book, I plan to devote an entire article to it later.
This iris window project was so fun, that I actually made two of them! I framed them with a standard wood frame that I embellished with vintage green velvet ribbon. And now they flank artwork that hangs in my dining room.
Thoughts or comments? I’d love to hear from you! Share with me below.
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