I see colors: Peacock Feathers

I started out with a forest in mind: very dark mahogany (DMC 300) with very dark turquoise (DMC3809). But once it was stitched, rather than leaves, I saw peacock feathers. So I added a flourish with royal blue (DMC 797) and French knots of very dark shell pink (DMC 208). I am very happy with the results.

I intended to make a diamond ornament, but stitched the margin too close to the design. Thus the ragged edge.

I think it will look amazing in reds, oranges and yellows. Next time.

New Free Pattern

I've been having so much fun with colored pencils on blackwork that I came up with a pattern especially for the method:

Star Window is a small, simple pattern that is easy to stitch and fun to color.

You'll find it on the Blackwork Smalls page.


I also pulled a bunch of samples from my stitching box and have transformed them using colored pencils. I have learned a few things along the way:

1) Don't overdo the color. Many pieces can get weighed down and look muddy with too much color.

Just a hint of color makes the facets of Snowflake Mandala pop!

2) Dampen the cloth, then roll it in a towel to remove excess moisture. A slightly damp canvas makes the color more vibrant. Be careful not to get it too wet; the colors can and will bleed if you're not careful.

I didn't like this pattern at all when I first designed it.
The bright colors have given a boring and clinical -looking
pattern a lively new look.

3) Keep the pencils sharp. Or not. It depends.

A dampened, duller pencil is great for filling in larger areas,
but as you can see, a fine point is needed to get the color
into the nooks and crannies.

4) It's okay to blend colors. In fact, it can lead to some exciting effects.

I was unhappy with the blue I had chosen for the small balls;
they were too bright for the green and gray. I colored over them
with the gray and got a fascinating patina. It wasn't so successful
with the purple, but I think that I used too heavy a hand with the
purple to begin with.

5) You may need a second coat.

After the first coat. Look at the first photo again and
you can see how much I missed. 

6) Keep a Tide Stain Stick handy. I got a smudge of color in the wrong spot and the Tide Stain Stick saved the day!

I'm contemplating using some sort of finish in addition to heat-setting the color. Something to protect it from the elements. Any ideas? Let me know.

Inspiration

I'm a Googler.  I love entering a word or phrase into Google Search and let the 'net come to me.  A recent search for "stained glass windows" revealed far more than the standard church, cathedral, and mosque windows one would expect.  This panel, offered for sale at Design Toscano (link below), caught my eye:

http://www.designtoscano.com/product/wall+decor/stained+glass/the+fleur-de-lis+cross+stained+glass+window+-+hd577.do

Thus inspired, I designed my own interpretation:

Now it's time to go through my thread boxes and select some color...

Two New Designs

I've been studying mandalas and learning how to work with curves.  It's a fascinating process, and I'm having a blast!  Here are two new designs:

Snowflake Mandala

"Ella"