Where do I begin? When I start a new canvas where do I start and why?
I typically start my canvases with the background. The background needs to recede and be just a little bit of magic. It should not dominate the canvas. I keep it light and open. It’s much easier to build my stitches and textures into the foreground with heavier threads and stitches than it is to constantly try to go lighter and lighter.
I like patterned stitches that are big and bold. As long as I keep the threads light, they will work in the background. If the threads are too heavy they will cause everything to draw your eye and come forward. It’s a lot easier to count a big patterned stitch across unstitched canvas than it is to count through stitches already worked.
For our current Mystery Class Penelope and Her Imaginarium by Sandra Vargas I designed a large diamond pattern that mimics the diamonds painted in the background creating a fun harlequin pattern.
Yes, you will need to anchor your threads in the borders and possibly employ a knot or two to make sure everything looks good from the front.
The other area I like to work on early in a canvas is the face. Let’s be realistic. If the face doesn’t look good nothing will look good. In the case of Penelope we Tent Stitched her eyes and lips, added a few Cross Stitches for tears and Crescents for the black lines on her eye. Notice, I don’t stitch every canvas thread. Sometimes if you stitch every canvas thread it gets too heavy and turns into a cartoon.
We have more to add to her pretty face but that will come in future lessons. If you would like to join the fun of stitching Penelope along with us, here’s the link, Penelope and Her Imaginarium. This weekend is Zecca Retreat with Mr. Fox and in between things I am working on Let’s Fall in Love. Everything gets done in time.
xo
ruth
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