Dim Sum from Needlepoint for Fun
One of the most fun parts of doing a needlepoint is picking the threads for the project. I love the different textures you can get from thread, so I take great delight in deciding and pulling these threads.
I thought I’d share with you the process I went through to pick these threads to stitch Dim Sum.
Begin by noting how many colors are in the canvas. The one has six: dark brown (background), hot pink, yellow-green, dark blue, light blue, and orange. Only the light blue is used in more than one place.
I was looking for threads for another pieces when I found the hot pink knitting wool. A perfect match so I started there. Since I want the flower to be the focal point, the other threads will need to be more dull. But the other colors in the flower, orange and light blue also need to be dramatic.
Because I want the hot pink to stand out, I decided to accent the orange and light blue by making them a different texture — metallic. I picked Gold Rush 14 and Sparkle Braid from my stash.
Do I want to use Sparkle Braid for the other light blue areas? I decided they could be secondary accents, so I’ll use it. I picked navy Medici to be the dark blue to set the metallic off.
The background is a problem, because of the extra areas on the sides I’ll need a thread that covers well. It will also need to go with the color of the case. High Cotton was my first choice, but in the end I decided on this Watercolours, which works beautifully with the leather case.
That left me with the yellow-green, a color I don’t often use, but I remembered this Planet Earth silk, the right shade but not too vivid to clash with the hot pink.
Now on to the stitches!
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Hi Janet,
Other than choosing threads based on color and texture, can you give us guidelines for selecting specific threads when the project might need to be wet blocked, ironed by a (hopefully) warm iron, the project subjected to heavy use or even dry cleaned in the future? Decades ago, I used DMC 666 (Christmas red) in a red work project and it turned out great until I tried to wash and iron the piece. The 666 dye bled on the ivory linen but have never had a problem with the other DMC colors.
I am always in awe over the wide range of threads that are currently available. When I first began stitching in the 70s, there were a series of wools, cottons, silks, metallics and a few synthetic threads to choose from. Now, going into a needlework shop, I am amazed at the variety of threads on their shelves and in their bins. When approaching an unknown thread or fiber, is there a vetting process that you go through before using it in an involved piece?
Marlene –
Your wish is my command. Look for it on Sunday.
Keep Stitching,
Janet
[...] Picking Threads – a Case STUDY | Nuts about Needlepoint Begin by noting how many colors are in the canvas. The one has six: dark brown (background), hot pink, yellow-green, dark blue light blue and orange. Only the light blue is used in more than one place. I was looking for threads for . [...]