
Hydrangeas and WisteriaThough I have Ms. Niekerk’s detail instruction book for this design panel I went to her website and viewed her tutorial on stumpwork Hydrangeas. Her instructions suggested using 2-3 different color stranded threads. I choose to use a Chameleon stranded cotton that I purchased from her (No 48 Magnolia). This Magnolia thread has a muted green-blue-lavender-pink-orange range to it, which is the colors I see in our Hydrangeas as they bloom. The wisteria arbor has been great fun to stitch. Instructions suggested to do French knots on top of French knots for three-D effort and I think it worked great. |
Hydrangeas Lots and lots of 2 and 3 wrapped French knots. I worked these circles in a 6 inch square frame, used blue wash-out-able marking pen to draw the circles. Photos are notes to myself to show that the blue ink did wash out after a brief dunking soak in color water. Normally I could had been concern for rust marks from the tacks, needle or magnetic but these are all well out of the stitched area. I let this dry overnight (in the frame) and looks like my balls-to-be Hydrangeas are Ok. The tail ends of each stitched circle around the French knots is behind the fabric. I shall bring them to the front before I cut out and draw into ball forms. Instructions called for 12 and I did 14 in case I needed extras. The detached lazy daisy stitched leaves around the hydrangeas are stitched in Ms. Neikerk’s 7mm (about 1.5 meters in length) of the silk ribbon color 26, Ivy. |