As a member of Cyberpointers,
http://www.cyberpointers.org/, I am participating in a stitch along designed by Orna Willis called Midnight Garden. The original design can be seen on Orna's blog on the right, Ornaments, and was done on a black canvas with several Caron Waterlilies and Watercolours threads. First, I did not have any black canvas....I thought I did, but today I could not find it. I found white, off white and pink. Pink will work since it is an overdyed and maybe this could be a garden at sunset in the summer. Okay then, pull the Waterlilies and Watercolours that I have in the stash. Yikes, what a mish mash of a collection. Okay, put those away....what other silks.....Cascade Silks I have not tried......nope, not enough and why did I buy two of four colors? Move on. Not enough A ver a Soie either. Silk Mori! I have tons of those! Okay, maybe not tons, but enough to put a mauve and green palette together. Also, pulled a couple of Needle Necessities overdyed. Yes, I know they are cotton, but I need some varigation!
Okay, I can live with this!
First I used Needle Necessities 1001, four strands and did the eyelet stitches in the top right. I think these are pretty flowers. Then, I used the Needle Necessities 1060, four strands and worked the leaf stitch variation on the left. It is actually a lot greener and less blue in person. I think this is a good start.
I filled in the last group of leaves, worked on the diagonal, using Silk Mori 4164, four strands.
I completed the last group of eyelets that creates the posy patch on the bottom left. I used Gloriana Silk overdyed, 122. I worked this with four strands also. You can see there is only one little patch left to fill in and this will be the last grouping of leaves.
Tonight I put in six rows of half Rhodes stitches to the left of the cushion stitches. Again, I used Silk Mori, this time in 6124. Then instead of French knots I put in Delica beads in color F644. I think this is a wonderful design and it is a very pretty garden!
Tonight I added another group of leaf stitches. They are identical to the ones in the top row, but placed horizontally. I used four ply of Needle Necessities 1065 to work this area. I am very pleased with how this is turning out, and impressed with how quickly it stitches up.
I added a new flower patch tonight! It is supposed to be bullion stitch on the diagonal lines. I put in six, took them out. I put in five more, took them out! I was using four strands and fighting with it all the way. I sat back, put that fiber aside, and picked up the Kreinik #8, 041. I used two strands and made the four sided shapes using that. Then, using four strands of Silk Mori 624, I made the crossed stitches that were called for. I like it. Some days are not bullion days and this was mine!
I finished up the cushion stitch and then used Kreinik #8, 041 to make the French knots in the center. Moving to the left, I worked the double cross stitches in Silk Mori, four strands of 625. Next the combination of leaf stitches that form a square are done in Silk Mori, four strands of 4163. The last pattern in the row is worked again in Silk Mori, four strands of 0643. I am using the laying tool for all these stitches to get maximum sheen to compliment the Kreiniks.
I started on the left side with the Eyelet variation using four ply of Kreinik Silk Mori in 4166, green. Then using Ombre 1600, I coiled under the eyelet. This is a variegated silver and pink fiber. Last I put in French knots with Silk Mori 6126 in dark purple. I started the four Cushion stitches with four strands of Silk Mori 6116 in the dark mauve, but did not quite finish them. I think the flower garden is growing nicely!
First I used Needle Necessities 1001, four strands and did the eyelet stitches in the top right. I think these are pretty flowers. Then, I used the Needle Necessities 1060, four strands and worked the leaf stitch variation on the left. It is actually a lot greener and less blue in person. I think this is a good start.