Thinking ahead to the time when I have a blue and white room in my William and Mary dolls' house, I went looking for suitable needlepoint cushion patterns. I couldn't find anything that really grabbed me (although I do love Janet Granger's Willow patterned kits), so I looked at a piece of late 17th century Chinese export ware and pulled a detail from the background.
This motif is pretty typical of the kind of blue and white export ware that was imported by Europeans from 1600 on.
This is my first piece of original needlepoint, and it was so much fun to make it up! If you like it, you're most welcome to download and use the .pdf chart below, as long as it's just for personal use :) It would look lovely in reds and pinks, too, and it's much easier to stitch than it first looks, because almost everything is straight lines. You just have to count like the dickens :) The example above was stitched on 26 ct linen, but it would still be in scale up to 22 count.
Blue and White Export China Cushion Chart - .pdf file will download automatically and should open with Adobe Reader or Preview (on the Mac)
PS: I'm sorry I haven't posted about the giveaway, yet -- I'm working hard at my Mum's roombox, but I promise I'll post something soon!
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It looks really nice :) Doing your own desings isn't that hard once you dare to start :) I have to admit that I'm so lazy to count stuff that I've done all my cross stich stuff just by eye :D
ReplyDeleteIra
Lovely pattern! Thank you very much for sharing! I will use it for sure!
ReplyDeleteVery nice and small !!!!!!!! China the BEST
ReplyDeletewww.vakadi.etsy.com
Thanks, guys! Yeah, Ira, it was really just getting up the nerve to start doing my own that was the difficult part. I don't feel confident just winging it, yet, maybe because I'm the kind of person who prefers planning things and making lists and that sort of stuff ...
ReplyDeleteLovely cushion and I am sure it was not as easy as you suggest!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to lift a background detail - it makes the cushion 'look' right in a setting without demanding too much attention - soo well done, Nina!!
ReplyDeleteA trick I learned in my needlework days (sasly almost over due to nerve damage in my arms) is if you have more than one thread in the needle, choose two colours almost the same - easy on the eye. And if you choose a warm and a cool of the same colour and value it adds even more depth.
xx
Thanks, Janice -- I'm a self-taught needlepointer, so I'm learning all the time :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comments and the tip, Glenda. So if I'm using two strands of blue, for example, I should pick a warm blue and a cool blue of about the same value, and stitch with one strand of each? Is that the idea? It makes sense to me -- I was always taught the importance of using both warm and cool in painting to help model form. I never thought to try it with needlepoint!
It is a beautiful piece of embroidery, thank you that you want to share this with us
ReplyDeletegroetjes Ingrid
thats a lovely piece
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure trove of tips in your comment box, Nina. But first, congratulations on a fine creation! Your own design! Wow, I hope to do that one day :) And I will remember Glenda's suggestion when I stitch my next carpet .
ReplyDeleteEl cojin es una preciosidad!!!
ReplyDeleteMuchisimas gracias, por la explicacion
besitos ascension
I love the chair! Very nice indeedy! You have been busy too! I can't keep up with your posts when I'm online A LOT, let alone when I have a few days away! lol
ReplyDeleteMichelle xxx