If you look at a leaf, you see that the veins on either side point to the central vein. If you embroider a leaf, you stitch lines, veins, pointing to the center vein. If you draw a leaf, you make lots of parallel lines on each side, pointing to that center vein.
But what do yo do to make a new needlepoint leaf that looks acceptably realistic but conveys the idea of lines on both sides pointing towards the center?
The answer is simple — reversals.
Make the stitch as you normally would on one side of the leaf’s central vein. On the other side, flip[ the stitch so it slants in the opposite direction.
This can be done with any diagonal stitch, from Tent Stitch on up.
In this vintage Lee fan Tent and Offset Mosaic were used.
It’s simple and it’s very effective.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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