Needlepoint canvas question

I don't have much in the way of a suggestion -- this is one of the main reasons I don't like to work printed canvas for needlepoint or cross stitch! When working shaded areas of one color on a difficult canvas, I usually determine where I think the light source is coming from and then put the lightest color nearest the light and then stitch the progressively darker colors backwards from there. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I feel your pain. I always worked my needlepoint from charts until the day a couple of Beth Russell painted canvasses were on sale so inexpensively, it didn't make sense to do otherwise.

I found it far harder to work on a painted canvas and would hold it against the light to make sure I had not completely missed a stitch here and there.

As regards the colours, they never seem to really match the blobs on the side. Remember too, if you are worrying about the outer edges of whatever is there, lines will never be exact.

Can you tell us the name of the piece ? Maybe google it yourself, you never know a far clearer picture may come up of it that would help. Can you consult with the store who sold it to you ? They might get more reaction from the designer.

I would suggest you give us the name of the piece and who it by and amongst people here, I am sure you will get great suggestions.

Can you enlarge the picture on the cover? Sometimes that helps. Or, lay the canvas down, on a white background and see if under light you can see the shading, and mark it with a hard pencil to delineate the changes. OR, just do what you think looks right, and don't worry. You could enlarge the picture, then sort of trace it onto graph paper to better mark the design and have to compare with your canvas.

Good luck, Ellice

Good comments! The other thing, is to remember when you're stitching that it's the intersections being covered, and which way do you want the color to flow. Not to get distracted by the holes, so to speak. I know this is clear as mud, but with the canvas, it's really looking at the direction of the stitches, as the thread wraps the intersection and you have to make a decision about the color. This is a big issue with Twister because of the triangular sections, and trying to get a straight line of delineation.

ellice

When I did Lord Barkley, which was a painted canvas that was probably done from the computer, I just fudged a lot and did it by eye. If I tried to do every very slight color change I probably would still be doing it several years later and it would be 4" thick on the back with crossed threads, especially since a lot of it was done in velvet and wool.

I found myself very often putting in 5 stitches and pulling out 6. After a while, I just looked at it and said enough is enough and it shall stay the way it is right now.

I think it came out pretty good. You can see it in my Lucille's Stuff album on RCTNP.

It can be hard. For me, when I do stitch guides, I use a basic outline drawing of the piece, and expect that each stitcher will vary a bit. There are what are called "stitch painted" canvases - which means the painter has very carefully painted each intersection to indicate the color that should be there. Good printed canvases should square up, but a bad print job, what should be on the intersections ends up off, and that makes a big headache for the stitcher.

WRT blobs, that's weird. The printed canvases are done with the print set ink - same as on any color printed box (take a look sometimes at a cereal box or home dec fabric - with the colors out in the selvedge. When I paint canvas, I definitely do the blobs with the paint colors being used. That said, doesn't mean everyone does the same. In matching threads for canvas, I've found that you have to find what suits picking them all - some may be a bit deeper, brighter, slightly different than the color blob - but that's all part of the fun IMHO. I remember someone years ago asking me if I was going to try and paint in colors that specifically matched DMC or Paternayan. I decided that was way crazy - and the reality is that when I paint, there are tons of threads, yarns - something will be close enough.

Good idea.

Ellice

This is just a shot in the dark, but could you put the canvas on the scanner with a dark backing behind it. Then maybe you can enlarge it. Try different coloured backings for the best effect.

I have even scanned fresh flowers fastened inside a shoe box lid so they did not squash. I just throw a black cloth over the scanner to cut out any light. Experiment with it. Hugs Shirley

Hi Lucretia, The piece is "Millefleurs" by Erica WIlson inspired by the MOMA in the US. My Mother went directly to the NY shop and got postcards with the designs for me to choose from. Mum then ordered it direct from Erica WIlson's shop. I have it on a frame and would find it difficult to scan as others have suggested. I have only been working needlepoint since 1974 using both printed canvas or from charts, which I prefer. Thanks for your thoughts. Fay

I can find a link here

's very pretty, lot's of colours and shading too. Erica Wilson isstill around and I think your best bet is to email her again at thecontact url, or depending where you are, 'phone one of the numbersgiven.

I have yet to see a good PRINTED canvas worth the yarn and time it takes to complete the project. I'm not sure why you are concerned with the chart, just match the yarn colour to colour printed on the canvas. Admittedly there may be two or three yarn colours that are almost the same shade but if you hang them on the canvas and stand back a few feet it will be easier to tell which colour goes where. When I decide on a colour match I do all the stitches that require that colour before moving on to the next one.

I have found that canvases with hand painted designs are much easier PROVIDED the artist has done it right. The canvases painted with acrylics are pretty good provided the paint wasn't too thick and plugging the holes.

Not too sure why you needed a pale coloured pillowcase under your work as you stitched other than to find the correct hole in to which you would bring your needle and yarn from the back to the front. If this is the reason simply attach your canvas to a Stitch Away Fabric mount and then place a 25 watt light bulb under the fabric mount, you could clamp the light to a table in front of you. As you stitch the light underneath the fabric mount makes the needle shine like a little diamond and it is very easy to see the correct hole that you need to bring the yarn from the back to the front. I sometimes just clamp a small battery powered reading light to my fabric mount, they produce less heat.

Needlepoint is supposed to be a PAINTING DONE IN YARN and viewed from a distance so don't try to make it look like a photograph. Jim's needlepoint of nudes is a good example of what I'm talking about.

Fred

nothing changes, nothing changes.Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.

I shall Google the "Stitch Away Fabric Mount" but since I've never had any problem filling every hole I don't know how useful it might be. Anyway I'm back to the needle since I'm not about to let this mongrel thing beat me! Cheers, Fay

You sound like me -- wanting to do what the pattern says is supposed to be done but bemoaning poor instructions or colors that make little or no sense.

To remove some of the stress, forget the picture, since it's not going to be photorealistic anyway. Stitch the middle of the piece with the boldest greens as a focal point, then use different greens on top corners. Use same color combos on the diagonal for balance.

Hello Fay and all,

I have done printed canvases over the years and there _are_ some that are printed clearly on the canvas.

What I do if I have three colours that are from lighter to darker in the same colour family (ie lighter, medium and darker), is stitch the middle one first during the daytime in good light. This then makes it easier to stitch both the other 2. It should be possible to do something similar with more than 3 shades.

Also, I always put a snippet of each colour alongside the blob at the edge, so that colours that are covered up can be easily identified later.

I also tend to work all of one colour before beginning on another one.

Hope something here helps. :)

Rosemary in Melbourne, Australia

PS: Hope I've left the relevant attributions in!