"Flight of Fancy" - 16" x 9.5"
>2006 ANG Seminar - 1st Place - Painted Canvas Without Stitch Guide. Professional
>2008 Callaway Gardens - School of Needle Arts - 2nd Prize Ribbon

The story of "Flight of Fancy"

"Flight of Fancy" is an evolution of my Canvas Collage titled "Peripheral Vision", painted on canvas by Sharon Lee. The painted version was so wonderful that I proudly showed it to my stitching table friends. Everyone admired the canvas and Dianna exclaimed, “You know you need to stitch it yourself!” . . . I thought, “Oh, no . . . not another canvas!” But Dianna’s comment wouldn’t leave my thoughts. My mind played with how to interpret the canvas differently than the original version. That was an exercise in divergent thinking.

I began to visualize a beaded bird. “I need to bead the Bird” was a theme going through my mind for weeks. I told my friends that I was planning to bead the bird and no one seemed surprised at this idea. They didn’t encourage or discourage. They must be used to my stretching the limits of design by now.

Lorene kindly agreed to accompany me on a shopping trip for beads since she is a bead expert. I became smitten with the wonderful world of small sparkly gems. My stash quickly became much larger than needed and that’s okay.

I stitched the bird in every other tent stitch using my favorite Needlepoint Inc. Silks and Northern Lights, getting just the hint of color or splash of color that I needed. Then I added the beads in the remaining spaces. What a wonderful effect! The mix of stitching and beading allowed the bird to appear soft yet luminous. This is a lesson in trusting my visions.

I wanted to stitch a bouquet that would even seem to produce an aroma. The flowers had to look and feel tactile, asking to be touched and sniffed. It’s all illusion and fantasy of course, but it became real to me as I developed the plan.

Alex-Paras Needlearts in St. Pete’s, Florida, had just the threads that I wanted to create the blossom and even the background. My task was to decide how best to use those threads and how to develop a sense of balance for the stitches.

There were many parts of the blossom where I needed to use decorative stitches that would express smooth, fluffy, spiky, high and low areas. Stitching direction was also taken into consideration so the blossoms might appear to move in the gentle breeze.

There are dark opal round beads in the outer blossom petals and some rich gold Delicas in the blossom centers. I wanted it to be vibrant yet controlled. Not too much, just enough.

I had to use overdye gathered silk ribbon in a few places! After all, with a stash so huge I wanted play!

You will see that I've used basketweave throughout the blossom. I love using basketweave on feature areas so the eye has a place to rest amidst all the busyness. Basketweave also acts as a lovely smooth area juxtaposed by so much texture by enhancing the decorative stitches and giving them space to be seen.

The outer turquoise leaves were cut and Canvas Collaged from batik quilting fabric. I cut the leaves from various sections of the fabric so the coloring would move around the blossom.

The background is laid filling, one strand of Trio silk/wool ivory couched in place with one strand Needlepoint Inc marigold yellow plus one strand of Northern Lights light pistachio.

The stitched leaves are Burden stitch, created with DMC linen floss and Needlepoint Inc Northern Lights overdye for the couching.

Journal notes - Jan 6th 2006

• I like to mix many fibers and use them for their color... they all work together when the colors are right
• Overdyes allow a piece to bond all fibers and parts together
• Many textures and colors work well together. Choose from a color source such as a fabric, overdye thread, batik or even magazine ads, and illustrations
• When a piece needs to ‘wait’ then go on ‘hold’ for a while.. there is a reason. The answers will surface in time
• Stitch direction is becoming a very important component of my work. It must be used with discretion so it doesn’t grab the interest without purpose...

Fiber Stash:

Needlepoint Inc Silks and Northern Lights, Kreinik Metallic, DMC Linen, Trebizon, Accentuate, Gumnuts Stars, Splendor, Neon Ray, Cascade House, Needle Necessities, and Trio silk & wool, ivory color.

Stitches used:

Nobuko, Basketweave, Every Other Tent, Outline, Whipped Running, Goblin, Couching, Hesitation, French Knots, Laid Filling/Burden, Single Brick small and large, Bargello, Lazy Daisy.

It was so liberating to allow myself to create a piece where I followed my heart and wasn’t concerned about recreating realism. I loved stitching the background (yes I did!)... I felt like I was stitching in the garden, basking in warm sunshine. Besides... I’m one of those people who love to stitch the tight areas that need compensation.

>Click within the stitchings to see the detail images: