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Friday, December 2, 2011

HUGS from Robin - part three

Hi Everybody... Robin here.

Let's continue with my HUGS progress. I have a lot to share with you.

When last we spoke, I mentioned I had a design concept in my head and was going to try it out on the computer. Actually, my mind was spinning with the blank canvas possibilities.  I needed to see them and confirm them before I could stitched them. I studied my books from Amy Bunger, Brenda Hart, Suzanne Howren & Beth Robertson, SuZy Murphy, Ruth Schmuff, and Julia Snyder, and finally decided to go with inspiration from my Jean Taggart books.

I never met Jean Taggart but hold her in highest regards from stories told to me by Amy Bunger and Tony Minieri. I have two of her books, Laid Fillings for evenweave fabrics and Darning Patterns for evenweave fabrics, and refer to them often. Since my original intention for this HUGS canvas was to showcase a Laid Filling pattern, going with Jean Taggart just made sense.

Hugs • Gayla Elliott • GS11
available from Alice Peterson Company
First, I came up with the border. It's a Hearts border; after all, we are talking about hugs! I was wanting something which "showed the love." It looks like a brocade ribbon, don't you think? I feel it will have many uses beyond this HUGS canvas.

Dream • Gayla Elliott • GS 4
available from Alice Peterson Company
Then I needed to deal with the center area. I was still smitten with the diamond pattern on the Dream Pillow; I wanted a diamond pattern, too. I wanted a Laid Filling "diamond" pattern... also known as a Diagonal Trellis filling pattern.

Diamond Trellis filling pattern
Diamond Trellis filling pattern with solid diamonds
I counted the number of threads between the border to find the center point. Then, I laid out a grid in the computer. I was seeing so many possibilities for this canvas. Should I work the entire center area in the Laid Filling or should I break it up by adding alternating solid color diamonds? Again, it was easy to figure it out in the computer. I am going to give different scenarios in my stitch guide.

I'll share more with you the next time. Which colors to use? Which threads to use? Again... the possibilities are endless.

Until then... Hugs, Robin
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10 comments:

  1. Diane GasiorDecember 2, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    My vote is the Diamond Trellis and solid diamonds. There is something about an almost argyle look about it.

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  2. AnonymousDecember 2, 2011 at 7:03 AM

    I like the look of the alternating solid areas. Green is good.

    Stephanie Ashworth

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  3. Diane GasiorDecember 2, 2011 at 8:22 AM

    My vote is for Diamond Trellis and solid diamonds. There is something about an argyle looking pattern I love. Can't wait to stitch it.

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  4. PatDecember 2, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    Robin

    What computer program do you use to plot out your stitches?

    Pat

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  5. The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint AdventureDecember 2, 2011 at 10:00 AM

    Fascinating! Noting is more intimidating to me than a blank canvas, but you are tackling this like the pro you are. I love the greens and the heart border. Put some Chilly Hollow stitches in those diamonds!

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  6. RobinDecember 2, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    Hi Diane and Stephanie. Good to hear from both of you. I agree, I liked the design with the Diamond Trellis and solid diamonds. I also think it would make for an interesting (not boring) pattern for the stitcher. After all... I am a stitcher, too.

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  7. RobinDecember 2, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    Hi Stephanie,
    I began working with Green on the computer to make it easy to see. I'll be showing some of my color "trials" in the next blog post.

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  8. RobinDecember 2, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    Hi Pat,
    I use the Canvas program for charting my stitches. It is from the company acdsee.com. I am using their old/last version for the Mac. They continue to write programs for PC. It is the program which Amy Bunger uses... and coincidently, Jean Taggart used it in her books, too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. RobinDecember 2, 2011 at 10:28 AM

    Hi Jane,
    Good to hear from you. YES... I love your Chilly Hollow stitch (ANG Stitch of the Month March 2002). I do agree it would be a lovely look. I went with a different approach, but one could always use it. A blank canvas... endless possibilities.

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  10. The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint AdventureDecember 3, 2011 at 8:51 AM

    You are doing more trellis patterns which are flat while CH stitch is dimensional. But very pretty! Sorry, looking at all those diamonds CH stitch and its variations was all I could see. If you added them to this piece, they would overwhelm the word Hugs, too. Oh, well, maybe I need to do a patchwork piece just full of the CH stitch...?

    ReplyDelete