Welcome to a class instructed by Lois Caron of
the CARON Collection.
"SATIN LIGHTS" Design Size: 42 x 42 threads |
MATERIALS
- Threads:
- 4 yd Impressions
- 4 yd Wildflowers
- 1 yd Watercolours
- 1 yd Waterlilies
Ground:
- 4x4" Congress cloth or any 25 ct evenweave linen
Needles:
|
THE THREADS
Watercolours is a 3-ply pima cotton. Separate and use one ply
in this design
Wildflowers is a single strand cotton. Stitch with two strands
in your needle
Waterlilies is a 12-ply silk. Use 3 or 4 plies, depending on the
desired effect
Impressions is a 50%wool, 50% silk. Use one strand for a textured
effect, two strands for a thick satiny look. |
NOTES
- Work each row in a different thread.
- The entire pattern, with the exception of the finishing outer row is
composed of satin stitches. Satin stitches are vertical or horizontal stitches
worked over several threads of the ground fabric. Start with the center
row and work subsequent rows around it.
- The stitches will lie better if you work from an empty hole into a
full hole.
- The finished design fits the Sudberry House ring box or can be made
into a pendant or ornament.
|
TO BEGIN
1. Choosing your colors. The original design was worked from
scraps of threads with no particular attention to choice of color. Feel
free to do the same or select a coordinated combination. If you wish to
use the same colors as in our example, we used the following: Watercolours,
014, Sunset; Wildflowers, 075, Sunrise; Impressions, 4015, Lemon Yellow;
and Waterlilies, 086, Tahiti.
2. Working with the threads. If you open the skeins and cut through
the knot, you will have all one-yard lengths of thread. The models were
worked with threads of this length. If you are more comfortable with shorter
lengths of thread, cut the skein at either end for 18" lengths or
untie the knot and wind off the desired amount. Do not try to match the
color changes in each length!
7. The next row can be stitched with either one or two strands of Impressions.
Using one strand will give a sculptured look to the stitches. Using two
strands will give a smooth, satiny effect. The differences may not show
up on your monitor, but the yellow example was stitched with two strands,
the others with only one.
8. Stitch the final row of satin stitches with either three or four
plies of Waterlilies.
9. One one-yard length will not be enough to go around the entire four
sides, so you will have some choices to make when starting the second length
of thread. You can do any one of the following:
a) Take another needleful of thread without regard to which part of
the skein it comes from.
This is what we did in the blue sample. There may be a distinct difference
in colors where you start and end the new thread. Generally, the eye will
compensate for any differences when viewing the overall piece of work.
b) Take your next needleful of thread from the same length you began
with, but thread the needle in the opposite direction. This way you will
begin stitching with approximately the same color you ended with. When
you complete the round of stitching, the colors may not blend seamlessly,
but the comments above apply.
c) If you wish to control the way the colors look, work the first needleful
of thread around two sides. Thread up your needle the second time in exactly
the same way as the first time and go back to your beginning point and
stitch around the remaining two sides. When you are done the opposite corners
will be coordinated. This is the technique used in the yellow example.
10. For a finishing touch, do one row of stem stitch, outline stitch,
cross stitch or elongated cross stitch around the outside in the thread
of your choice.
WHAT NEXT?
- Try different color combinations
- Reverse the color sequence for very different results (see blue and
rose samples)
- Work the design on other sizes of canvas or fabric. You will often
need to adjust the number of strands or plies you work with. For help refer
to our Thread Usage Chart under "Threads".
- Experiment with other threads from our collection.
Be sure to join us next month.
Future classes will feature guest instructors and will include a variety
of different techniques, approaches and points of view, so be sure to stop
by and see what's new.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: No part of these instructions nor the included designs/charts can be reproduced
or distributed in any form (including electronic) or used as a teaching
tool without the prior written permission of the CARON Collection Ltd.
One time reproduction privileges provide to our web site visitors for and
limited to personal use only.