Project a Month: Wrap up - Color Theory with Karen Barbé

How do you like that little peek of my Final Project for the Color Theory class with Karen Barbé? You'll see the rest of my project at the end of this post!

It's no secret now which color combination I chose, after a lot of internal (and external) debate on my last post...

I chose the Analogous color scheme, with a nice blue-green, bright yellow-green, and dark forest green:

DMC 597, 166, and 895 - you may notice one of these is a vintage floss that is likely well over 25+ years old. I love to use my vintage flosses if they are in good shape, as this one was.

I transferred my design with my trusty Aunt Martha's transfer pencil - I have been using the same pencil since I wrote my original How to Use a Transfer Pencil post, oh about 13 years ago! I think it's funny how I used to love vintage transfers and embroidery, and now my own embroidery is old enough to qualify. Way to feel old. Wait, not old... vintage. :)

Hope you love chain stitch, because I used lots and lots and lots of chain stitch! I decided to do my entire project in only those 3 colors of floss - so I diverged from the whole point of Karen's class - as she does encourage you to create a whole palette of colors. But I was so fascinated with the 3 colors, I wanted to try it and see what I thought of the finished piece...

Washing and Ironing My Project

Since the pink lines from the transfer pencil were showing through, I decided to give my project a wash when I was finished:

I soaked it in regular dish soap and cold water, and all the transfer pencil lines came out.

Then I put it on a towel to soak up the excess water:

Last, I turned it face down on the towel and ironed the back while it was still wet, to get it nice and smooth, without smooshing the textured stitches...

If you have a sharp eye, you'll see that any long, unsecured stitches got all wobbly and funky. I had to pick some of those out and re-stitch them, lesson learned:

My Finished Project

And here's my final project, all finished!

It was a fun experiment in simplicity, but I did get a bit tired of just 3 colors. I think an ideal number of colors for a larger piece like this is 5-6.

To make each area look unique, I used as many different types of textural stitches as possible!

Most of the piece was chain stitch, outlined in back stitch, using 2 strands of floss, but I also used stem stitch, split stitch, satin stitch, and my messy version of a Cretan stitch (see Mary Corbet's beautiful version on Needle n' Thread - Cretan Stitch). I had a lot of fun playing with texture in this piece, I think it made up a bit for the lack of variety in my color choices.

I really love how those little blue acorns look - I used split stitch with 2 strands of floss - time-consuming, but I think it's a lovely effect.

Here are all the other mini pieces I stitched, looking at them all together, I do think the best choice was the one I picked, or the one with red.

And here is my finished piece! What a fun project, truth be told, the main reason I took this class, was to be able to stitch that pattern!

Final thoughts

I learned SO MUCH from this class about color, and I spent countless happy hours thinking about colors, playing with colors, and it was just an absolute joy for me. So, do I recommend Karen's Color Theory class - absolutely! As I mentioned before the class is all in Spanish, but if you don't speak Spanish all of the concepts are covered in her book, Colour Confident Stitching.

Thank you for following along with me in this class - and stay tuned for later this week, when I reveal this month's new project!

Previous Posts

#2 Color theory with Karen Barbé
#1 Color theory with Karen Barbé

Wonderful Wednesday #68 - Little Dear

How wonderful is this lovely Embroidery Sewing Kit by Little Dear? I've loved the stitching, artwork, and design of Aimee Ray for a very long time, and I'm so happy to see her sharing her lovely sense of color by creating these perfect little kits to stitch with!

Kits are available in 4 different color ways, and include beautiful stork scissors in complementing patterns - they are all just gorgeous!

Aimee's Books

If you haven't checked out Aimee's books, you really should give them a look! They are full of lovely transfers you can easily iron on to fabric and stitch.

Just so you know, these book links are Amazon Affiliate links - clicking through the link and buying costs no more for you and is one way to support our volunteer reviews.

Doodle Stitching Transfer Pack

Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection 

Embroidered Woodland Creatures: 50+ Iron-On Transfers Inspired by Nature

Wonderful Wednesday #67 - Wild Boho

Is it clear yet that I am really feeling the rainbow lately? It was no surprise to me that I adored this Fractured Color Wheel pattern by Nichole Vogelsinger, or Wild Boho, as she is known online. I LOVE this idea of using solid or textured fabrics to create a rainbow color wheel. I am not always a fan of crazy quilting, but the way Nichole does it really works for me!

Boho Embroidery Books

Nichole is also the author of two lovely books I have somehow never yet perused (I'll change that soon!)

Just so you know, these two book links are Amazon Affiliate links - clicking through the link and buying costs no more for you and is one way to support our volunteer reviews.

Boho Embroidery

Boho Embroidery: the Pattern Collection

Nichole is also teaching a lovely class on BluPrint called Boho Style: Mixed-Media Embroidery which looks really fun.

See more of Nichole on Instagram - @wildboho.

Wonderful Wednesday 66 (pt. 2) - Cutesy Crafts

Last week, I happened upon some wonderful free patterns and Youtube tutorials by Jessica at Cutesy Crafts - as luck would have it, Jessica was right about to launch an e-book of patterns in her shop called Sweet Home Embroidery. When I wrote to her about the feature, she was kind enough to share a copy with me - and what a wonderful book it is!

Sweet Home Embroidery

There are 22 patterns in all - some are new patterns and some Jessica has already offered as free patterns on her site - but the ebook has them all together, with easy to read color and stitch guides:

I don't know about you, but I definitely enjoy unplugging and having a PDF pattern to print or follow on my tablet (depending on my level of unplugged-ness) so this ebook is right up my alley!

There are so many lovely patterns in this ebook, but 2 of my favorites (and which I was getting ready to buy before this ebook) are:

Thank you Jessica, for letting me preview Sweet Home Embroidery - it is a lovely book, very well illustrated and designed, and well worth the purchase!

Project a Month: Color Theory with Karen Barbé

Hello all, I'm here again with my progress on this month's Project a Month - a lovely Color Theory class with Karen Barbé (in Spanish) on Domestika.

As I mentioned last week, if you don't speak Spanish and would like to follow along, all you need is Karen's wonderful book Color Confident Stitching - it covers all the concepts here!

Color Palettes Based on Color Harmony

Now on to my favorite part of the class - selecting color harmonies using the color wheel! (p.50 in her book)

Here are the first 3 color harmonies I constructed, using paint chips. I hesitated at first, thinking, wouldn't it be more accurate to just use my embroidery floss instead? But I'm glad I did - playing with the paint chips to select my colors helped me see the colors in a new way, and think of them more as colors than as floss, if that makes any sense.

I chose my favorite color - a teal blue-green, and based all of my color harmonies around their relationships to this color:

Monochromatic

Analogous

Complementary

Near Complementary

Triad

Wasn't that fun? As you see, I stitched a tiny portion of the final class project in each color harmony, so I could pick my favorite. but it didn't work - I liked them all equally!

Do you have a favorite? My Instagram feed is currently split between the Near Complementary and Analogous color schemes. :)

Another thing I loved about building these color harmonies is that when I was done, I had a grouping of colors that all looked wonderful together. So, this is a great way to build up a color scheme if you aren't sure where to start - all you really need is 1 color you love to begin! Sidenote - it's also a great way to write a poem, if you use those marvelous color names as starting points. :)

So there we are - I hoped you enjoyed this walk through Karen's Color Theory class so far! Next week, stay tuned for my (hopefully) finished class project, in the color theory palette of my choice!

Last week's post: http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2019/02/project-month-color-theory-with-karen.html

Project a Month: Color Theory with Karen Barbé

A year and a half ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Colour Confident Stitching by Karen Barbé, and I was immediately taken in by her gorgeous book.

Last month, I was very pleased to discover that Karen was teaching an online Color Theory class on a Spanish-language site called Domestika.



I knew nothing about Domestika, but the intro video Karen posted on her blog really piqued my interest. Spanish was my first language, but my speaking ability is clumsy at best. But I took the plunge and purchased the class, which was on sale for half price, and decided I would use this chance to improve my Spanish AND my color skills.

Follow along with her book!

Don't speak Spanish? The good news is all of the concepts in Karen's online class can be found in her book Colour Confident Stitching, so if you want to try what I'm doing, I'll give you the corresponding page number in her book!

I am often pressed for time when I do book reviews and I find it difficult to do a thorough review. So there were many wonderful concepts in Colour Confident Stitching that I didn't have time to explore - this online class gave me all the inspiration I needed to take it all further!

Floss Color Cards - "Color Compasses"

My favorite thing about Karen's color theory class so far has to be her floss color cards:
(p.28 in her book)

With the color cards in the center, I sorted paint chips (the kind you find in hardware stores). Karen calls her color cards in Spanish, brújulas cromáticas - color compasses. They help you understand where a color sits on the color wheel, if the color is lighter, brighter, more muted, or dark, and by extension, whether the color is warmer or cooler.

I LOVED sorting colors, and it opened my eyes to color relationships I had never seen before!

Here I am, repeating this exercise with a bundle of fat quarters... I chose this fabric bundle randomly, but I love how closely they match the paint chips I brought home from the hardware store! It looks like I have certain colors I gravitate towards, and others I clearly do not (hello orange and medium green!)

Holding Karen's color cards against fabrics is a tactile way to measure color temperature:

These 2 fabrics are options for my final piece - pale blue and pale pink. I couldn't decide if the pink was warmer or cooler, so I included 2 color cards - red-violet and red - what would your guess be?

These cards have helped me understand color in a way I never have before - and I've been stitching for over 10 years now!

Stitch along!

If you are a Spanish speaker, I fully recommend Karen's class - Teoría del color para proyectos textiles. I was not paid to review this class, I found it on my own, I have already purchased 2 more embroidery classes on Domestika and they are gorgeous. I am very impressed by Domestika - the quality of the videos, the talent of the artists, and their site and forums are wonderful.

If you are not a Spanish speaker, as I mentioned earlier, and color theory interests you, I highly recommend Karen's book, Colour Confident Stitching, you will have all the materials you need to follow along!

Next week, I'll show you the 5 color palettes I chose, based on color wheel harmonies - here's a preview!

I stitched 5 small examples so I could decide on a favorite palette - do you have a favorite? For my final post, I'll show you my rendition of the final class design!

Feeling Random Friday with Laura Baverstock

When I first came across Laura Baverstock's account on Instagram, all I could say was - WOW! I'm pretty sure my mouth hung open in awe, too. Here's a description from her website as to what she does:

Laura Baverstock is a specialist hand embroiderer, textile artist and illustrator who mixes traditional stitching techniques with her contemporary design practice.  She creates embellished designs and bespoke pieces with modern materials and embroidery adding texture and interest.  Her use of strong shapes and silhouettes are contrasted against refined and delicate detail.

She is a Royal School of Needlework trained specialized hand embroidery artist who is a Trade Freeman of the Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers. I don't know what that last part means, but it certainly sounds like an accomplishment. Instead of reading me blathering on like a fan girl, take a look at some of my favorite pieces from Laura's Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on Mar 7, 2018 at 2:48am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on May 17, 2018 at 1:46am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on Nov 18, 2018 at 7:50am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on Jan 18, 2019 at 9:38am PST

Wonderful Wednesday 66 - Cutesy Crafts

Isn't this Free Floral Hoop pattern by Jessica at Cutesy Crafts gorgeous? I adore the colors she's chosen, and of course how beautifully stitched (and photographed) her sample is.

Jessica has a video series on Youtube that walks you through every step of the stitching process for this free pattern!


Jessica also has a wonderful video on stitched lettering:

Backstitch Lettering


Unicorn lovers, how about this adorable free pattern? Her color choices are so sweet!

Beautiful work, Jessica!

Feeling Stitchy Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to everyone who took time to comment on our feedback and giveaway post this year! I really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughtful responses about buying local and deleting Facebook - I know everyone has different feelings about Facebook, but I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling that they could do much better to protect our private information and create a positive worldwide community. As for me, I'm done with it, and haven't looked back since deleting my account!

And now for our Giveaway winner!


Bluebird • 11 days ago

I like the idea of supporting small and local shops rather than the big stores. That is what we need more of and not just in the area of needlework.

I also like the shift to Instagram. I have just recently begun to use it more myself. Overall all of your ideas sound good to me.

As for a prize, I have had my eye on "RSN ESG: Stumpwork: Essential Stitch Guides (Royal School of Needlework Essential Stitch Guides)".


Bluebird, please contact me at unafloresita@gmail.com with your mailing address so I may send out your prize!

Project a Month: Wrap up - SeptemberHouse Calendar

And I'm finished! I'm quite happy with my stitching and the colors and stitches I chose for the SeptemberHouse 2019 Calendar Kit. I gave a brief overview of the kit contents in my first post here and an update of my stitching progress in my second post here.

When I last checked in, I was busy filling in the flowers, bemoaning my satin stitch, and enjoying the bright colors I'd chosen.

Then, quite suddenly, I hit a wall - does this happen to you when you're stitching a project over multiple days? First, I became bored with the colors I thought I loved, then, after looking at my calendar in different light I started feeling like I didn't even like my choices anymore!

Challenge: Choosing Colors

As luck would have it, I've been taking an online Color Theory class by Karen Barbé on a Spanish-language site called Domestika, which gave me the inspiration I needed to keep going!

I pulled out the little color cards I'd made for Karen's class, to "measure the temperature" of the colors I'd chosen:

Pink was really calling out to me, and I loved how it looked against the colors I'd already stitched. It was was a cool tone that I thought would contrast well with the comparatively warm colors I'd chosen for the rest of the stitching.

So I added a bright cotton candy pink as an accent:

And suddenly, I loved my calendar a lot more.

I used DMC 504 to chain stitch the inner border:

I had my stitching in my favorite hoop, stretched tight, which made chain stitching very uncomfortable!

Helpful Items

One thing I found very helpful was this Clover Coin Thimble I'd purchased some time ago...

Just so you know, the link above is an Amazon Affiliate link - clicking through the link and buying does not cost any more for you and is one way to support our volunteer reviews.

That coin tip on the Clover thimble bore the brunt of the pokes my needle gave me - it's a nice sturdy leather, a tad bulky, but really helpful if you're working on something large like this.

I again used DMC 504 and a leaf stitch on the little leaves framing the 2019. I always forget how much I love that stitch - it gives such a lovely texture.

And here she is, in all her finished glory:

DMC floss colors I used:
150, 605, 834, 832, 504, 3809 (2 skeins included with kit), 943, 926

I knew all along I'd hit a wall when it came to finishing the edges of the calendar - I'm no sewist - for some reason I have zero inclination to use a sewing machine. I've gotten some great easy finishing suggestions on Instagram, and I'll probably do one of those.

For now, I'm just beyond pleased to have finished my first Project a Month for Feeling Stitchy!

More about SeptemberHouse

As I mentioned in my last post, the 2019 Calendar Kit is sold out, but you should definitely check out Corinne's shop for more of her beautiful patterns. If you love this calendar, get on her mailing list to find out when the 2020 calendar is in her store!

For more on SeptemberHouse visit:
Her Instagram: @septemberhouseoninstagram
Her Blog: https://soseptember.blogspot.com/
Her Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/septemberhouse

ALL SEPTEMBERHOUSE CALENDAR POSTS

#1 - Calendar Kit Started

#2 - Calendar Kit In Progress

Scrappy Cross Stitch project by Laura Lupin Howard of Bugs and Fishes

I am fascinated by this wonderful Scrappy Cross Stitch project by Laura Lupin Howard on Instagram (@lauralupinhoward)! Laura managed to find a use for all those tiny bits of embroidery floss left over when she was stitching:

It's such a creative way to use up every last bit of thread, and it is so wonderfully done! For more on her process, including a plan of her design, visit her blog post: Creating Patchwork Cross Stitch from Leftover Embroidery Threads.

She recently finished a similar concept with a blanket, using colorful yarn scraps as well:

I adore Laura's use of color and creativity, thank you Laura, for allowing me to share your projects here!

For more on Laura, visit the links below!

BLOG: http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com

INSTAGRAM: @lauralupinhoward

SHOP: http://lupin.etsy.com

NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dvfYO1

Giveaway Extension!
For those of you who haven't yet entered our giveaway, you have a few more days - since I have not quite finished my Project a Month - so head on over and enter!
http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2019/01/feeling-stitchy-this-year-giveaway.html