Yes, another update. :) The Rotation Challenge continues!
Monday I worked on a new start, but this is actually planned as a gift for a friend's birthday in October. The design is fairly small, so I should get it done in time. This is from My Big Toe designs, called He Holds Tomorrow:
This is actually my first time using overdyed cotton (that's Monkey Grass from Weeks). I don't always do one stitch at a time, but I can still see a subtle color change, if I look really hard. The scrollwork was a lot of fun and worked up quickly. Looking forward to getting back to this again. Stitching this on 32ct Jobelan.
Tuesday called for something easy, so I pulled out another newer start, but one I haven't posted about before. This is another HAED, called Blood by Melanie Delon:
I started this in March, I think, because why not? :) Actually, I really love this image, though it's hard to pinpoint why. There's just something about her stance and expression, and that wispy black smoke. And, my favorite color is gray. (Weird, I know.) Melanie says this is a portrayal of one of her RPG characters, which probably explains why she looks so fierce. I've started on page one, working on 25ct Pewter Lugana in tent stitch:
Most of a row done, not bad for an hour. But at the moment, it's only two colors. :)
On a side note, if anyone is wondering, I always like to work horizontally across a page when I use tent stitch. Every time I try tent stitching in vertical columns, I end up with "humps" and a visible separation between each column, even when I try to stitch across grid lines. I don't get that stitching across. I believe this is a tension issue, since loose tension lets the fabric pull more, but I have yet to try tent stitching on my Millennium frame. At some point I will though, and I'll probably share the results when I do. :)
So today, Wednesday, I went back to one of my Riolis kits, French Lavender:
It's still a blob, but the blob is growing! I still love stitching with this wool. It's sooo soft, and it hardly tangles at all. I'm still stitching in the shadows for the moment, but once I get to the lighter colors, they will seem all the more vibrant. Man, too many projects I don't want to put down!
For the Distance Challenge, I've finally hit a milestone with Scale and finished page 7!
I think she looks awesome. The nose looks so real, like it jumps off the fabric. This is one of those designs where the color choices during stitching seem really odd, but the result is stunning. I've already made a small start on page 8, so we'll see how much I can get done before the challenge ends on Sunday.
That's all for now. See you again soon! :)
The new (to us) haed pattern is wonderful. I love the direct and intense stare. And congratulations on a page finish on Scale. Her face is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rebekah! Blood does have a certain intensity about her, which is probably why I love her. I think her gaze is very magnetic, and can't wait to stitch it (several years from now!). :)
DeleteOh my, even more great things to look at! I think Blood is a stunning design, it has so much energy. I think it's on my Wishlist :D I somehow like designs with a lot of mono-colored background (and I usually complain about all the background when I stitch it - lol...) Scales nose is amazing, it looks so real and I think it's even better in real life. I am actually really curious to see her lips stitched =)
ReplyDeleteI stitched with Weeks threads for the first time yesterday. When I took a look at the skein, it didn't look like a lot of color change (I'm using Mocca), but the stitched result is really pretty and has nice change of color =) I think your stitching looks just right, very pretty =)
I like how a simple background can make an image more dramatic, but I'm like you, stitching them can be so boring! At least I try to console myself in thinking they'll work up fast, but I get impatient to stitch the "good part." :) Blood is actually a really simple design, probably the easiest HAED I own. Nice to stitch when I'm short on time. I am starting to see more variegation in He Holds Tomorrow. I'll definitely be using more overdyed thread in the future. :)
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