Needlepoint canvas question

Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

Fay wrote:
Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

I don't have much in the way of a suggestion -- this is one of the
main reasons I don't like to work printed canvas for needlepoint or
cross stitch! When working shaded areas of one color on a difficult
canvas, I usually determine where I think the light source is coming
from and then put the lightest color nearest the light and then stitch
the progressively darker colors backwards from there. CiaoMeow ^;;^

PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
their whiskers!
Visit my Photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/tiamary

I have seen it suggested (but not tried it myself) that you make a
photocopy of the canvas. Apparently, the various shades show up a bit
better in different tones of gray. It seems like an inexpensive thing
to try at any rate.

There is a blog I read done by a lady named Jane who is quite an
expert about painted canvases. She might have something there or you
could try emailing her. The blog is: http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/

Linda

On 1/14/09 12:40 AM, "Fay" wrote:

Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

Can you enlarge the picture on the cover? Sometimes that helps. Or, lay
the canvas down, on a white background and see if under light you can see
the shading, and mark it with a hard pencil to delineate the changes. OR,
just do what you think looks right, and don't worry. You could enlarge the
picture, then sort of trace it onto graph paper to better mark the design
and have to compare with your canvas.

Good luck,
Ellice

On 1/14/09 7:02 AM, "Tia Mary" wrote:

Fay wrote:
Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

I don't have much in the way of a suggestion -- this is one of the
main reasons I don't like to work printed canvas for needlepoint or
cross stitch! When working shaded areas of one color on a difficult
canvas, I usually determine where I think the light source is coming
from and then put the lightest color nearest the light and then stitch
the progressively darker colors backwards from there. CiaoMeow ^;;^

PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)

Good comments! The other thing, is to remember when you're stitching that
it's the intersections being covered, and which way do you want the color to
flow. Not to get distracted by the holes, so to speak. I know this is
clear as mud, but with the canvas, it's really looking at the direction of
the stitches, as the thread wraps the intersection and you have to make a
decision about the color. This is a big issue with Twister because of the
triangular sections, and trying to get a straight line of delineation.

ellice

"ellice" wrote in message
...
On 1/14/09 12:40 AM, "Fay" wrote:

Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

Can you enlarge the picture on the cover? Sometimes that helps. Or, lay
the canvas down, on a white background and see if under light you can see
the shading, and mark it with a hard pencil to delineate the changes. OR,
just do what you think looks right, and don't worry. You could enlarge
the
picture, then sort of trace it onto graph paper to better mark the design
and have to compare with your canvas.

Good luck,
Ellice




When I did Lord Barkley, which was a painted canvas that was probably done
from the computer, I just fudged a lot and did it by eye. If I tried to do
every very slight color change I probably would still be doing it several
years later and it would be 4" thick on the back with crossed threads,
especially since a lot of it was done in velvet and wool.

I found myself very often putting in 5 stitches and pulling out 6. After a
while, I just looked at it and said enough is enough and it shall stay the
way it is right now.

I think it came out pretty good. You can see it in my Lucille's Stuff
album on RCTNP.

On 1/14/09 8:13 AM, "lucretia borgia" wrote:

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:40:33 -0800 (PST), Fay
opined:

Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

I feel your pain. I always worked my needlepoint from charts until
the day a couple of Beth Russell painted canvasses were on sale so
inexpensively, it didn't make sense to do otherwise.

I found it far harder to work on a painted canvas and would hold it
against the light to make sure I had not completely missed a stitch
here and there.

It can be hard. For me, when I do stitch guides, I use a basic outline
drawing of the piece, and expect that each stitcher will vary a bit. There
are what are called "stitch painted" canvases - which means the painter has
very carefully painted each intersection to indicate the color that should
be there. Good printed canvases should square up, but a bad print job, what
should be on the intersections ends up off, and that makes a big headache
for the stitcher.

As regards the colours, they never seem to really match the blobs on
the side. Remember too, if you are worrying about the outer edges of
whatever is there, lines will never be exact.

WRT blobs, that's weird. The printed canvases are done with the print set
ink - same as on any color printed box (take a look sometimes at a cereal
box or home dec fabric - with the colors out in the selvedge. When I paint
canvas, I definitely do the blobs with the paint colors being used. That
said, doesn't mean everyone does the same. In matching threads for canvas,
I've found that you have to find what suits picking them all - some may be a
bit deeper, brighter, slightly different than the color blob - but that's
all part of the fun IMHO. I remember someone years ago asking me if I was
going to try and paint in colors that specifically matched DMC or
Paternayan. I decided that was way crazy - and the reality is that when I
paint, there are tons of threads, yarns - something will be close enough.

Can you tell us the name of the piece ? Maybe google it yourself, you
never know a far clearer picture may come up of it that would help.
Can you consult with the store who sold it to you ? They might get
more reaction from the designer.

I would suggest you give us the name of the piece and who it by and
amongst people here, I am sure you will get great suggestions.

Good idea.

Ellice

In message , ellice
writes
On 1/14/09 8:13 AM, "lucretia borgia" wrote:

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:40:33 -0800 (PST), Fay
opined:

Hi, I have been struggling with a printed canvas for some time. The
shading is very difficult even in good light (naturla and Ott-Lite)
with several very close colours. There is a key of sorts, where the
design is in black and white and parentheses grouping up to 6 colours
for a section of the design. There is a colour photo on the bag it
came in but it is of a cushion and is not very clear. I have tried
using a pale coloured pillowcase under it as I work but I'm about
ready to consign it to the "might be finished one day" pile. I emailed
the designer to see if an alternate chart might be available, but was
rewarded with a big fat nothing.
Any ideas, fellow stitchers?
Thanks,
Fay

I feel your pain. I always worked my needlepoint from charts until
the day a couple of Beth Russell painted canvasses were on sale so
inexpensively, it didn't make sense to do otherwise.

I found it far harder to work on a painted canvas and would hold it
against the light to make sure I had not completely missed a stitch
here and there.

It can be hard. For me, when I do stitch guides, I use a basic outline
drawing of the piece, and expect that each stitcher will vary a bit. There
are what are called "stitch painted" canvases - which means the painter has
very carefully painted each intersection to indicate the color that should
be there. Good printed canvases should square up, but a bad print job, what
should be on the intersections ends up off, and that makes a big headache
for the stitcher.

As regards the colours, they never seem to really match the blobs on
the side. Remember too, if you are worrying about the outer edges of
whatever is there, lines will never be exact.

WRT blobs, that's weird. The printed canvases are done with the print set
ink - same as on any color printed box (take a look sometimes at a cereal
box or home dec fabric - with the colors out in the selvedge. When I paint
canvas, I definitely do the blobs with the paint colors being used. That
said, doesn't mean everyone does the same. In matching threads for canvas,
I've found that you have to find what suits picking them all - some may be a
bit deeper, brighter, slightly different than the color blob - but that's
all part of the fun IMHO. I remember someone years ago asking me if I was
going to try and paint in colors that specifically matched DMC or
Paternayan. I decided that was way crazy - and the reality is that when I
paint, there are tons of threads, yarns - something will be close enough.

Can you tell us the name of the piece ? Maybe google it yourself, you
never know a far clearer picture may come up of it that would help.
Can you consult with the store who sold it to you ? They might get
more reaction from the designer.

I would suggest you give us the name of the piece and who it by and
amongst people here, I am sure you will get great suggestions.

Good idea.

Ellice

This is just a shot in the dark, but could you put the canvas on the
scanner with a dark backing behind it. Then maybe you can enlarge it.
Try different coloured backings for the best effect.

I have even scanned fresh flowers fastened inside a shoe box lid so they
did not squash. I just throw a black cloth over the scanner to cut out
any light.
Experiment with it.
Hugs
Shirley
--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk

On 1/14/09 10:00 AM, "lewmew" wrote:

I have seen it suggested (but not tried it myself) that you make a
photocopy of the canvas. Apparently, the various shades show up a bit
better in different tones of gray. It seems like an inexpensive thing
to try at any rate.

There is a blog I read done by a lady named Jane who is quite an
expert about painted canvases. She might have something there or you
could try emailing her. The blog is: http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/

Linda
Ah, Jane is quite active on the ANG discussion group list. That also would
be a good place to try.

I've done the photocopy of a canvas - it's sometimes how I start a stitch
guide for someone. Good idea, Linda.

Ellice

Can you tell us the name of the piece ? *Maybe google it yourself, you
never know a far clearer picture may come up of it that would help.
Can you consult with the store who sold it to you ? *They might get
more reaction from the designer.

I would suggest you give us the name of the piece and who it by and
amongst people here, I am sure you will get great suggestions.

Hi Lucretia,
The piece is "Millefleurs" by Erica WIlson inspired by the MOMA in the
US. My Mother went directly to the NY shop and got postcards with the
designs for me to choose from. Mum then ordered it direct from Erica
WIlson's shop.
I have it on a frame and would find it difficult to scan as others
have suggested. I have only been working needlepoint since 1974 using
both printed canvas or from charts, which I prefer.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Fay