Crewel, blackwork, and canvaswork

Posted by Allura on July 31, 2007, 4:14 pm

I'd guess I'm an "intermediate" cross stitcher - I routinely work on
evenweave, just did my first peice on evenweave, and while I usually
stick to a limited "palette" of full/partial cross stitch, backstitch,
and french knots, I'm not afraid to try whatever stitches the chart
includes (herringbone, for instance). I don't tweak designs too much,
although I'm using Karen's (?) charting for Yule instead of Noel for
Celtic Christmas (or I would, if she wasn't a UFO).

I'm fascinated by crewel, blackwork, and canvaswork. I have several
blackwork & canvaswork charts that I haven't tried yet, but a quick
glance at the canvaswork ones particularly have me horribly confused -
I think I may be overly ambitious. So my basic question is where do I
start for the three of them? I'm not even sure I really know what's
involved in crewel at all, for instance; I just know I really like the
designs I've seen. I'm guessing the answer for all of these is "star
with a small kit". In that case, any recommendations for who has
particularly good instructions? I tend to do best with visual
instuctions, followed by written and then aural. Just a quirk of my
brain, I suppose. So excellent stitch diagrams, or better, online
video, would be best. As I said, I just don't know where to even start
with any of these three styles.

Thanks!
Allura
------
WIP: The Dreamer, Clean Dog
Cross Stitch News: http://csnews.blogdrive.com
NJNeedleworkers: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NJNeedleworkers/
Allura's Ramblings: http://allura.blogdrive.com

Posted by lewmew on July 31, 2007, 5:25 pm

> I'd guess I'm an "intermediate" cross stitcher - I routinely work on

> evenweave, just did my first peice on evenweave, and while I usually

> stick to a limited "palette" of full/partial cross stitch, backstitch,

> and french knots, I'm not afraid to try whatever stitches the chart

> includes (herringbone, for instance). I don't tweak designs too much,

> although I'm using Karen's (?) charting for Yule instead of Noel for

> Celtic Christmas (or I would, if she wasn't a UFO).

> I'm fascinated by crewel, blackwork, and canvaswork. I have several

> blackwork & canvaswork charts that I haven't tried yet, but a quick

> glance at the canvaswork ones particularly have me horribly confused -

> I think I may be overly ambitious. So my basic question is where do I

> start for the three of them? I'm not even sure I really know what's

> involved in crewel at all, for instance; I just know I really like the

> designs I've seen. I'm guessing the answer for all of these is "star

> with a small kit". In that case, any recommendations for who has

> particularly good instructions? I tend to do best with visual

> instuctions, followed by written and then aural. Just a quirk of my

> brain, I suppose. So excellent stitch diagrams, or better, online

> video, would be best. As I said, I just don't know where to even start

> with any of these three styles.

> Thanks!

> Allura

> ------

> WIP: The Dreamer, Clean Dog

> Cross Stitch News:http://csnews.blogdrive.com

> NJNeedleworkers:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NJNeedleworkers/

> Allura's Ramblings:http://allura.blogdrive.com

Crewel work - did you mean traditional crewel work, with wool, or
surface embroidery? If the first, well, there's not a lot of kits out
there for crewel work, so my suggestion would be to go to your library
and check out a book. Hopefully it will have a project in there for
you that you find appealing. A problem for many in doing crewel work
is that crewel wool is not readily available in many places. Surface
embroidery is pretty much the same these days, although you can find a
few "embellish" type pieces in mass market stores. Personally, I
design almost all of my surface work and use several embroidery stitch
guides to help design it.

Canvas work - are you talking basic basketweave or counted
canvaswork? Also, painted canvas or not? I like counted canvas and
am partial to Laura Perin, but usually find at least one mistake in
her charts. Whatever you do, DON'T do the freebie at Northern Pines
Designs as a first counted project - it is not very well written!

Blackwork is, essentially, back stitch taken to the extreme (although
some people prefer to do it in running or double running stitch) and
probably the easiest to make the "jump" to. I like the look of
blackwork in different colors. If you look back through recent posts,
you will find a thread about blackwork with loads of freebies and
links.

HTH! Linda

Posted by Lucille on July 31, 2007, 6:13 pm

>> I'd guess I'm an "intermediate" cross stitcher - I routinely work on

>> evenweave, just did my first peice on evenweave, and while I usually

>> stick to a limited "palette" of full/partial cross stitch, backstitch,

>> and french knots, I'm not afraid to try whatever stitches the chart

>> includes (herringbone, for instance). I don't tweak designs too much,

>> although I'm using Karen's (?) charting for Yule instead of Noel for

>> Celtic Christmas (or I would, if she wasn't a UFO).

>> I'm fascinated by crewel, blackwork, and canvaswork. I have several

>> blackwork & canvaswork charts that I haven't tried yet, but a quick

>> glance at the canvaswork ones particularly have me horribly confused -

>> I think I may be overly ambitious. So my basic question is where do I

>> start for the three of them? I'm not even sure I really know what's

>> involved in crewel at all, for instance; I just know I really like the

>> designs I've seen. I'm guessing the answer for all of these is "star

>> with a small kit". In that case, any recommendations for who has

>> particularly good instructions? I tend to do best with visual

>> instuctions, followed by written and then aural. Just a quirk of my

>> brain, I suppose. So excellent stitch diagrams, or better, online

>> video, would be best. As I said, I just don't know where to even start

>> with any of these three styles.

>> Thanks!

>> Allura

>> ------

>> WIP: The Dreamer, Clean Dog

>> Cross Stitch News:http://csnews.blogdrive.com

>> NJNeedleworkers:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NJNeedleworkers/

>> Allura's Ramblings:http://allura.blogdrive.com

> Crewel work - did you mean traditional crewel work, with wool, or

> surface embroidery? If the first, well, there's not a lot of kits out

> there for crewel work, so my suggestion would be to go to your library

> and check out a book. Hopefully it will have a project in there for

> you that you find appealing. A problem for many in doing crewel work

> is that crewel wool is not readily available in many places. Surface

> embroidery is pretty much the same these days, although you can find a

> few "embellish" type pieces in mass market stores. Personally, I

> design almost all of my surface work and use several embroidery stitch

> guides to help design it.

> Canvas work - are you talking basic basketweave or counted

> canvaswork? Also, painted canvas or not? I like counted canvas and

> am partial to Laura Perin, but usually find at least one mistake in

> her charts. Whatever you do, DON'T do the freebie at Northern Pines

> Designs as a first counted project - it is not very well written!

> Blackwork is, essentially, back stitch taken to the extreme (although

> some people prefer to do it in running or double running stitch) and

> probably the easiest to make the "jump" to. I like the look of

> blackwork in different colors. If you look back through recent posts,

> you will find a thread about blackwork with loads of freebies and

> links.

> HTH! Linda

I think there actually is a pretty good choice of small crewel kits that are
geared to beginners. I know that I've seen some on Tanja Berlin's site (I'm
sure someone can give you the correct spelling) and I've even seen some that
looked pretty nice in the Herschnners and Stitchery catalogues.

I googled crewel embroidery kits and immediately came up with this one that
had some very nice kits that are marked for a beginner.

http://www.crewelwork.com/acatalog/The_Crewelwork_Kit_Range.html

Nordic Needle has a ton of counted canvas work and I'm sure some of them
must be marked as suitable for a learning experience, or you could try a
bargello piece from a book. That's generally a nice way to begin and it
isn't terribly difficult once you get it started. To me, counted work on
canvas isn't all that different from cross stitch, except for using either
basketweave or continental stitch.

Blackwork is beautiful but I didn't find I loved doing it. Once you get a
pattern started, it's just a matter of keeping track and endless counting.
But it's pretty enough to try it and find out for yourself if you like the
technique or not.

As far as where to start, no matter what I'm doing, be it crewel,
needlepoint or cross stitch, I do it the unorthodox way and usually start in
the top right hand corner. Most of the instructions I've seen tell you to
mark the center and work out from there. Personally, I don't think it makes
much of a difference where you start, provided you are very sure to leave
enough margin so if it's not exactly centered on the fabric it doesn't
matter.

Try them all and see for yourself what floats your boat. It's all fun.

Lucille

Posted by Allura on August 1, 2007, 1:12 pm

wrote:

> I googled crewel embroidery kits and immediately came up with this one that

> had some very nice kits that are marked for a beginner.

> http://www.crewelwork.com/acatalog/The_Crewelwork_Kit_Range.html

Yes, I was looking at those, actually.

> Nordic Needle has a ton of counted canvas work and I'm sure some of them

> must be marked as suitable for a learning experience, or you could try a

> bargello piece from a book. That's generally a nice way to begin and it

> isn't terribly difficult once you get it started. To me, counted work on

> canvas isn't all that different from cross stitch, except for using either

> basketweave or continental stitch.

Oh, ok. I must be the only stitcher that doesn't regularly check out
Nordic Needle, simply bc I tend to be more of an impulse buyer...so
it's safer to wait till I have the money before I go near my LNS. :)
I'm such a geek, but I don't actually buy a lot online.

> As far as where to start, no matter what I'm doing, be it crewel,

> needlepoint or cross stitch, I do it the unorthodox way and usually start in

> the top right hand corner. Most of the instructions I've seen tell you to

> mark the center and work out from there. Personally, I don't think it makes

> much of a difference where you start, provided you are very sure to leave

> enough margin so if it's not exactly centered on the fabric it doesn't

> matter.

I'm an upper left starter myself. I'm not sure if that's a good idea
or not, but it's just sorta what I started doing. It does make me
extra careful about measuring my margins, though.

Allura

Posted by ellice on August 1, 2007, 8:11 am