I almost made it out of the weekend without a new start. I knew it would be difficult when I couldn't get color possibilities out of my head since seeing
the sampler in Samplers & Antique Needlework Quarterly, Fall 2009, issue 56. They published a Queenstown reproduction: 1819 Elizabeth Powell Sampler.
I couldn't wait to get home Saturday. I tried to resist for as long as I could which ended up being around 5 hours. I thought the sampler looked kind of flat. Lovely enough to ensnare me, but flat. I knew I wanted to work it in HDF silks if I could get conversions because even the solid colors are not completely solid because of the way the light plays off the twist - similar to the way the light plays off old sampler silks. I also wanted specific variegated silks for other areas on the piece, especially the broader filled areas. HDF has that versatility.
My silk conversion started with listing then picking the "official" conversion HDF matched to the DMC alternative to the model stitched Needlepoint Silks Inc. NPS are nice silks but those used were very solid colors and I had none of the NPS variegated, none of which I remember being close to the colors used. After pulling the colors, comparing them to places they were being used...there were some changes. While I did not add any purples I did change out some of the more brownish bits, softened some of the bright ecru bits. I will be adding some textured stitching in places. That peacock will certainly not be reddish brown.
I hope my attention span can lead me to get to a fair amount of progress before this piece is relegated to The Nap.
Meanwhile another installment of the Hannah Thornbush class has come along. The itch to work on her is back again.
I couldn't wait to get home Saturday. I tried to resist for as long as I could which ended up being around 5 hours. I thought the sampler looked kind of flat. Lovely enough to ensnare me, but flat. I knew I wanted to work it in HDF silks if I could get conversions because even the solid colors are not completely solid because of the way the light plays off the twist - similar to the way the light plays off old sampler silks. I also wanted specific variegated silks for other areas on the piece, especially the broader filled areas. HDF has that versatility.
My silk conversion started with listing then picking the "official" conversion HDF matched to the DMC alternative to the model stitched Needlepoint Silks Inc. NPS are nice silks but those used were very solid colors and I had none of the NPS variegated, none of which I remember being close to the colors used. After pulling the colors, comparing them to places they were being used...there were some changes. While I did not add any purples I did change out some of the more brownish bits, softened some of the bright ecru bits. I will be adding some textured stitching in places. That peacock will certainly not be reddish brown.
I hope my attention span can lead me to get to a fair amount of progress before this piece is relegated to The Nap.
Meanwhile another installment of the Hannah Thornbush class has come along. The itch to work on her is back again.
