blanket stitch vs blanket stitch vs satin stitch

close blanket stitching - my preferred!

open blanket stitch - too open!

satin stitching with split stitch - too heavy!

My dilemma this week was - how to make the area around the outside of the big leaves work for me!  I started with Nikki's suggestion of blanket stitch.  I worked the stitch quite open - then I decided it was too open.  I then tried satin stitch as I was not keen on blanket stitch - too heavy!  So I looked at how Kathy from the unbrokenthread blog approached it.  I liked Kathy's approach -  close blanket stitch plus it is quicker than satin stitch and stronger than the open approach I started with.  Decision made - what do you think?

symmetrical design . . .

progress so far

My working frame showing the symmetrical design, trying to balance every stitch on both the left and right hand sides.  It is really easy to have seeding on one side worked closer together or bigger than the other.  Difficult . . .

© 2012 Nicola Jarvis Studio

A section of Nicola's design from which I am working from and The Unbroken Thread blog ~ see Kathy's progress too . . .

long and short in crewel wool . . .

shading using one strand of crewel wool and stem stitch for the leaves

long and short shading detail

Working one colour into another by shading can be quite tricky as the shading can look 'banded'.  To over come this, which takes a little experience, the second colour is introduced gradually, and 'feathered' in, whilst the first colour gradually disappears as shading continues.  On top of this, there is direction to cope with, as the shape expands outwards then curves back in.  However, it is such a pleasure to be stitching on lovely Scottish woven linen twill.

Kathy 'The Unbroken Thread' Andrews - is working the same design for Nicola Jarvis for her forthcoming exhibition which will be later in the year at the William Morris Gallery.  Dates will be issued in future posts.